M3.1 Earthquake 57 km S of Whites City, New Mexico — December 3, 2021
2021-12-03 23:53:47 UTC (2021-12-03) · approx. 4:53 PM UTC-7 local
On December 3, 2021 at 23:53 UTC, a magnitude 3.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck 57 km S of Whites City, New Mexico, at a depth of 5.3 km and coordinates 31.6612°, -104.4268°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 674 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 83 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
-104.4268°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.1 earthquake near Whites City, New Mexico?
The magnitude 3.1 earthquake that struck 57 km S of Whites City, New Mexico on December 3, 2021 at 23:53 UTC had a depth of 5.3 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.1 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
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Understanding This Data
Magnitude 3.1 earthquakes are typically only recorded by instruments.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: tx2021xrsi). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, December 3, 2021). M3.1 Earthquake 57 km S of Whites City, New Mexico — December 3, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/tx2021xrsi/