M4.8 Earthquake 287 km ENE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands — February 12, 2021
2021-02-12 20:06:39 UTC (2021-02-12) · approx. 6:06 AM UTC+10 local
On February 12, 2021 at 20:06 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 287 km ENE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 16.2836°, 148.2002°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.2 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
148.2002°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake near Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands?
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck 287 km ENE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands on February 12, 2021 at 20:06 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 16.2836°, 148.2002°, which is 287 km ENE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.8 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000djbk). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, February 12, 2021). M4.8 Earthquake 287 km ENE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands — February 12, 2021. Retrieved April 23, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000djbk/