M4.6 Earthquake in the Macquarie Island region — December 17, 2020
2020-12-17 16:40:56 UTC (2020-12-17) · approx. 3:40 AM UTC+11 local
On December 17, 2020 at 16:40 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck in the Macquarie Island region, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -54.1092°, 159.3241°.
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
159.3241°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.6 earthquake in the Macquarie Island region?
The magnitude 4.6 earthquake that struck in the Macquarie Island region on December 17, 2020 at 16:40 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 -54.1092°, 159.3241°, which is in the Macquarie Island region.
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: us6000d1va). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, December 17, 2020). M4.6 Earthquake in the Macquarie Island region — December 17, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000d1va/