4.4

M4.4 Earthquake 186 km W of Malango, Solomon Islands — December 24, 2020

2020-12-24 22:24:12 UTC (2020-12-24) · approx. 9:24 AM UTC+11 local

MagnitudeM4.4(mb)
Time22:24 UTC≈ 9:24 AM UTC+11
Depth10.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates-9.921°, 158.028°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On December 24, 2020 at 22:24 UTC, a magnitude 4.4 shallow crustal earthquake struck 186 km W of Malango, Solomon Islands, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -9.9207°, 158.0284°.

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 -9.92°, 158.03°

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.4 mb
Depth
10.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
-9.9207°N
158.0284°E

Technical Information

Event ID
us6000d5t7
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
298
Azimuthal Gap
63.0°
Min Station Distance
1.951°
RMS Residual
1.27 sec
Last Updated
2021-03-06 23:18:34 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.4 earthquake near Malango, Solomon Islands?

The magnitude 4.4 earthquake that struck 186 km W of Malango, Solomon Islands on December 24, 2020 at 22:24 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.

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: us6000d5t7). 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 186 km W of Malango, Solomon Islands — December 24, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000d5t7/