M5.0 Earthquake in the Mariana Islands region — April 16, 2021
2021-04-16 00:23:17 UTC (2021-04-16) · approx. 10:23 AM UTC+10 local
On April 16, 2021 at 00:23 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck in the Mariana Islands region, at a depth of 12.0 km and coordinates 17.9152°, 147.2045°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
147.2045°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake in the Mariana Islands region?
The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck in the Mariana Islands region on April 16, 2021 at 00:23 UTC had a depth of 12.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 17.9152°, 147.2045°, which is in the Mariana Islands region.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.0 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000e1z0). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, April 16, 2021). M5.0 Earthquake in the Mariana Islands region — April 16, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000e1z0/