M4.4 Earthquake 274 km SSW of ‘Ohonua, Tonga — December 3, 2021
2021-12-03 16:58:25 UTC (2021-12-03) · approx. 4:58 AM UTC-12 local
On December 3, 2021 at 16:58 UTC, a magnitude 4.4 shallow crustal earthquake struck 274 km SSW of ‘Ohonua, Tonga, at a depth of 47.0 km and coordinates -23.6101°, -176.0162°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 60 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 655 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
-176.0162°E
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.4 earthquake near ‘Ohonua, Tonga?
The magnitude 4.4 earthquake that struck 274 km SSW of ‘Ohonua, Tonga on December 3, 2021 at 16:58 UTC had a depth of 47.0 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 4.4 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
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Understanding This Data
Magnitude 4.4 earthquakes are often felt but rarely cause damage.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000gahw). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, December 3, 2021). M4.4 Earthquake 274 km SSW of ‘Ohonua, Tonga — December 3, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000gahw/