M4.9 Earthquake 34 km NW of Güiria, Venezuela — August 2, 2020
2020-08-02 00:03:45 UTC (2020-08-02) · approx. 8:03 PM UTC-4 local
Felt by 7 people across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M5.0 mainshock.
On August 2, 2020 at 00:03 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 intermediate depth earthquake struck 34 km NW of Güiria, Venezuela, at a depth of 92.2 km and coordinates 10.7529°, -62.5634°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 338 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.4 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.0 mainshock that occurred 8 days ago 26 km SSW of Güiria, Venezuela. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 0 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.
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
Earthquake Details
-62.5634°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake near Güiria, Venezuela?
The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck 34 km NW of Güiria, Venezuela on August 2, 2020 at 00:03 UTC had a depth of 92.2 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 10.7529°, -62.5634°, which is 34 km NW of Güiria, Venezuela.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.9 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Is this the same earthquake as the M5.0 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 4.9 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.0 mainshock that occurred earlier 26 km SSW of Güiria, Venezuela. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000b885). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, August 2, 2020). M4.9 Earthquake 34 km NW of Güiria, Venezuela — August 2, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000b885/