M4.4 Earthquake 88 km NNW of Ak’ordat, Eritrea — December 24, 2020
2020-12-24 22:22:45 UTC (2020-12-24) · approx. 1:22 AM UTC+3 local
On December 24, 2020 at 22:22 UTC, a magnitude 4.4 shallow crustal earthquake struck 88 km NNW of Ak’ordat, Eritrea, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 16.2615°, 37.5082°.
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.
Earthquake Details
37.5082°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.4 earthquake near Ak’ordat, Eritrea?
The magnitude 4.4 earthquake that struck 88 km NNW of Ak’ordat, Eritrea on December 24, 2020 at 22:22 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 4.4 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
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Understanding This Data
Magnitude 4.4 earthquakes are often felt but rarely cause damage.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000d2qn). 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 88 km NNW of Ak’ordat, Eritrea — December 24, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000d2qn/