M4.6 Earthquake near southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge — December 31, 2020
2020-12-31 15:33:40 UTC (2020-12-31) · approx. 2:33 PM UTC-1 local
On December 31, 2020 at 15:33 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck near southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -14.2331°, -13.7432°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 120 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 899 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
-13.7432°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.6 earthquake near southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge?
The magnitude 4.6 earthquake that struck near southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge on December 31, 2020 at 15:33 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -14.2331°, -13.7432°, which is near southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.6 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000d7gh). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, December 31, 2020). M4.6 Earthquake near southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge — December 31, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000d7gh/