M4.2 Earthquake 77 km S of Puerto San José, Guatemala — January 2, 2021
2021-01-02 23:15:06 UTC (2021-01-02) · approx. 5:15 PM UTC-6 local
On January 2, 2021 at 23:15 UTC, a magnitude 4.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 77 km S of Puerto San José, Guatemala, at a depth of 19.7 km and coordinates 13.2331°, -90.9215°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 30 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 476 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
-90.9215°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.2 earthquake near Puerto San José, Guatemala?
The magnitude 4.2 earthquake that struck 77 km S of Puerto San José, Guatemala on January 2, 2021 at 23:15 UTC had a depth of 19.7 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 4.2 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
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Understanding This Data
Magnitude 4.2 earthquakes are often felt but rarely cause damage.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000d53h). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, January 2, 2021). M4.2 Earthquake 77 km S of Puerto San José, Guatemala — January 2, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000d53h/