M4.0 Earthquake 184 km ENE of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen — January 31, 2021
2021-01-31 21:51:14 UTC (2021-01-31) · approx. 9:51 PM UTC+0 local
On January 31, 2021 at 21:51 UTC, a magnitude 4.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 184 km ENE of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 71.3212°, -3.7578°.
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.
Earthquake Details
-3.7578°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.0 earthquake near Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen?
The magnitude 4.0 earthquake that struck 184 km ENE of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen on January 31, 2021 at 21:51 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 4.0 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
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Understanding This Data
Magnitude 4.0 earthquakes are often felt but rarely cause damage.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000dev4). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, January 31, 2021). M4.0 Earthquake 184 km ENE of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen — January 31, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000dev4/