M4.0 Earthquake 18 km N of Stanton, Texas — December 31, 2020
2020-12-31 20:44:20 UTC (2020-12-31) · approx. 1:44 PM UTC-7 local
Felt by 34 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.7 (moderate).
On December 31, 2020 at 20:44 UTC, a magnitude 4.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 18 km N of Stanton, Texas, at a depth of 5.0 km and coordinates 32.2951°, -101.7941°. The earthquake was reported felt by 34 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 4.7 (moderate). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. The nearest populated place is Stanton (population 2,492).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 15 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 347 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Texas, a region characterized by a mix of natural intraplate seismicity and induced events in the Permian Basin linked to wastewater disposal. View all earthquakes in Texas.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Nearest Populated Places
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 34 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 983,818 |
| MMI 4 | light | 20,704 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 66 |
Earthquake Details
-101.7941°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.0 earthquake near Stanton, Texas?
The magnitude 4.0 earthquake that struck 18 km N of Stanton, Texas on December 31, 2020 at 20:44 UTC had a depth of 5.0 km. It was felt by 34 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 4.7 (moderate). For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 32.2951°, -101.7941°, which is 18 km N of Stanton, Texas. The nearest populated place is Stanton (population 2,492). View all earthquakes in Texas.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.0 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Has Texas had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Texas was the M5.8 Valentine earthquake of August 16, 1931. Today's magnitude 4.0 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000d4mj). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, December 31, 2020). M4.0 Earthquake 18 km N of Stanton, Texas — December 31, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000d4mj/