M4.2 Earthquake near South Shetland Islands — November 22, 2020
2020-11-22 21:14:41 UTC (2020-11-22) · approx. 5:14 PM UTC-4 local
On November 22, 2020 at 21:14 UTC, a magnitude 4.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck near South Shetland Islands, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -62.3621°, -58.1635°.
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
-58.1635°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.2 earthquake near South Shetland Islands?
The magnitude 4.2 earthquake that struck near South Shetland Islands on November 22, 2020 at 21:14 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: us6000csjl). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, November 22, 2020). M4.2 Earthquake near South Shetland Islands — November 22, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000csjl/