M5.1 Earthquake near South Shetland Islands — April 18, 2021
2021-04-18 02:15:15 UTC (2021-04-18) · approx. 10:15 PM UTC-4 local
On April 18, 2021 at 02:15 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck near South Shetland Islands, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -62.3521°, -58.5207°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 674 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.0 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
-58.5207°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.1 earthquake near South Shetland Islands?
The magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck near South Shetland Islands on April 18, 2021 at 02:15 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -62.3521°, -58.5207°, which is near South Shetland Islands.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.1 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000e2il). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, April 18, 2021). M5.1 Earthquake near South Shetland Islands — April 18, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000e2il/