M5.0 Earthquake near South Atlantic Ocean — December 21, 2021
2021-12-21 04:24:35 UTC (2021-12-21) · approx. 1:24 AM UTC-3 local
On December 21, 2021 at 04:24 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck near South Atlantic Ocean, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -54.2486°, -40.5078°.
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
-40.5078°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near South Atlantic Ocean?
The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck near South Atlantic Ocean on December 21, 2021 at 04:24 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 -54.2486°, -40.5078°, which is near South Atlantic Ocean.
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: us6000ge2u). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, December 21, 2021). M5.0 Earthquake near South Atlantic Ocean — December 21, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000ge2u/