M5.2 Earthquake south of Africa — December 6, 2021
2021-12-06 22:35:55 UTC (2021-12-06) · approx. 12:35 AM UTC+2 local
On December 6, 2021 at 22:35 UTC, a magnitude 5.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck south of Africa, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -48.4132°, 31.4956°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 951 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.3 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
31.4956°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.2 earthquake south of Africa?
The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that struck south of Africa on December 6, 2021 at 22:35 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 -48.4132°, 31.4956°, which is south of Africa.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.2 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000g9t5). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, December 6, 2021). M5.2 Earthquake south of Africa — December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000g9t5/