M4.0 Earthquake 56 km S of Whites City, New Mexico — December 4, 2023
2023-12-04 23:59:09 UTC (2023-12-04) · approx. 4:59 PM UTC-7 local
On December 4, 2023 at 23:59 UTC, a magnitude 4.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 56 km S of Whites City, New Mexico, at a depth of 6.6 km and coordinates 31.6660°, -104.3760°. The earthquake was reported felt by 7 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 4.6 (moderate). The nearest populated place is Van Horn (population 2,063).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 15 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 347 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
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 7 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
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 33,880 |
Earthquake Details
-104.3760°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.0 earthquake near Whites City, New Mexico?
The magnitude 4.0 earthquake that struck 56 km S of Whites City, New Mexico on December 4, 2023 at 23:59 UTC had a depth of 6.6 km. It was felt by 7 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 4.6 (moderate). For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.0 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
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Understanding This Data
Magnitude 4.0 earthquakes are often felt but rarely cause damage.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: tx2023xtoa). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, December 4, 2023). M4.0 Earthquake 56 km S of Whites City, New Mexico — December 4, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/tx2023xtoa/