M4.4 Earthquake in the South Sandwich Islands region — December 13, 2021
2021-12-13 16:25:11 UTC (2021-12-13) · approx. 2:25 PM UTC-2 local
On December 13, 2021 at 16:25 UTC, a magnitude 4.4 shallow crustal earthquake struck in the South Sandwich Islands region, at a depth of 35.0 km and coordinates -57.3855°, -25.4183°.
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
-25.4183°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.4 earthquake in the South Sandwich Islands region?
The magnitude 4.4 earthquake that struck in the South Sandwich Islands region on December 13, 2021 at 16:25 UTC had a depth of 35.0 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: us6000gcv0). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, December 13, 2021). M4.4 Earthquake in the South Sandwich Islands region — December 13, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000gcv0/