M4.2 Earthquake 44 km ESE of Samarai, Papua New Guinea — July 31, 2020
2020-07-31 20:37:44 UTC (2020-07-31) · approx. 6:37 AM UTC+10 local
On July 31, 2020 at 20:37 UTC, a magnitude 4.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 44 km ESE of Samarai, Papua New Guinea, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -10.8163°, 151.0067°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 30 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 476 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
151.0067°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.2 earthquake near Samarai, Papua New Guinea?
The magnitude 4.2 earthquake that struck 44 km ESE of Samarai, Papua New Guinea on July 31, 2020 at 20:37 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. 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 4.2 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
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Understanding This Data
Magnitude 4.2 earthquakes are often felt but rarely cause damage.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000b7ng). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, July 31, 2020). M4.2 Earthquake 44 km ESE of Samarai, Papua New Guinea — July 31, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2020 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000b7ng/