M4.6 Earthquake south of the Kermadec Islands — October 21, 2020
2020-10-21 20:56:37 UTC (2020-10-21) · approx. 8:56 AM UTC+12 local
On October 21, 2020 at 20:56 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 intermediate depth earthquake struck south of the Kermadec Islands, at a depth of 138.5 km and coordinates -34.5364°, 179.3822°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 120 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 899 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
179.3822°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.6 earthquake south of the Kermadec Islands?
The magnitude 4.6 earthquake that struck south of the Kermadec Islands on October 21, 2020 at 20:56 UTC had a depth of 138.5 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -34.5364°, 179.3822°, which is south of the Kermadec Islands.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.6 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000cb06). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, October 21, 2020). M4.6 Earthquake south of the Kermadec Islands — October 21, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000cb06/