4.4

M4.4 Earthquake northwest of the Kuril Islands — December 24, 2020

2020-12-24 21:17:17 UTC (2020-12-24) · approx. 7:17 AM UTC+10 local

MagnitudeM4.4(mb)
Time21:17 UTC≈ 7:17 AM UTC+10
Depth431.3 kmdeep-focus
Coordinates47.900°, 146.828°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On December 24, 2020 at 21:17 UTC, a magnitude 4.4 deep-focus earthquake struck northwest of the Kuril Islands, at a depth of 431.3 km and coordinates 47.8996°, 146.8282°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 60 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 655 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 47.90°, 146.83°

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.4 mb
Depth
431.3 km
deep-focus
Location
47.8996°N
146.8282°E

Technical Information

Event ID
us6000d2q0
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
298
Azimuthal Gap
69.0°
Min Station Distance
2.917°
RMS Residual
0.73 sec
Last Updated
2021-03-06 23:18:32 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.4 earthquake northwest of the Kuril Islands?

The magnitude 4.4 earthquake that struck northwest of the Kuril Islands on December 24, 2020 at 21:17 UTC had a depth of 431.3 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 4.4 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Understanding This Data

Magnitude 4.4 earthquakes are often felt but rarely cause damage.

Learn more about magnitude →

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000d2q0). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, December 24, 2020). M4.4 Earthquake northwest of the Kuril Islands — December 24, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000d2q0/