M3.6 Earthquake 6 km E of Elgin, South Carolina — June 29, 2022
2022-06-29 23:03:01 UTC (2022-06-29) · approx. 6:03 PM UTC-5 local
Felt by 3,840 people across a wide area. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 5.5 (strong).
On June 29, 2022 at 23:03 UTC, a magnitude 3.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 6 km E of Elgin, South Carolina, at a depth of 2.8 km and coordinates 34.1653°, -80.7270°. The earthquake was reported felt by 3,840 peopleacross a wide area, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 5.5 (strong). This earthquake was detected by 26 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 719, making it a moderate-impact event.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 3.8 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 184 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in South Carolina, a region characterized by the Middleton Place-Summerville Seismic Zone near Charleston, site of the destructive 1886 M7.3 earthquake. View all earthquakes in South Carolina.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 5.5 (strong), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Moderate shaking that everyone in the area would feel. Sleeping people are awakened. Dishes and windows may break. Unstable objects may be knocked over.
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 3,840 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
-80.7270°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.6 earthquake near Elgin, South Carolina?
The magnitude 3.6 earthquake that struck 6 km E of Elgin, South Carolina on June 29, 2022 at 23:03 UTC had a depth of 2.8 km. It was felt by 3,840 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 5.5 (strong). For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 34.1653°, -80.7270°, which is 6 km E of Elgin, South Carolina. View all earthquakes in South Carolina.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.6 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Has South Carolina had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in South Carolina was the M7.3 Charleston earthquake of August 31, 1886. Today's magnitude 3.6 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: se60401416). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, June 29, 2022). M3.6 Earthquake 6 km E of Elgin, South Carolina — June 29, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/se60401416/