4.9

M4.9 Earthquake near Greenland Sea — December 22, 2020

2020-12-22 02:25:20 UTC (2020-12-22) · approx. 2:25 AM UTC+0 local

MagnitudeM4.9(mb)
Time02:25 UTC≈ 2:25 AM UTC+0
Depth10.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates78.586°, -3.201°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On December 22, 2020 at 02:25 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck near Greenland Sea, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 78.5863°, -3.2013°.

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.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 78.59°, -3.20°

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.9 mb
Depth
10.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
78.5863°N
-3.2013°E

Technical Information

Event ID
us6000d1ss
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
369
Azimuthal Gap
30.0°
Min Station Distance
3.969°
RMS Residual
0.57 sec
Last Updated
2021-02-27 23:23:23 UTC

Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake near Greenland Sea?

The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck near Greenland Sea on December 22, 2020 at 02:25 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 78.5863°, -3.2013°, which is near Greenland Sea.

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.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000d1ss). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, December 22, 2020). M4.9 Earthquake near Greenland Sea — December 22, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000d1ss/