M4.9 Earthquake southeast of Easter Island — December 23, 2021
2021-12-23 20:55:54 UTC (2021-12-23) · approx. 2:55 PM UTC-6 local
On December 23, 2021 at 20:55 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck southeast of Easter Island, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -41.0045°, -91.5463°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 338 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.4 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
-91.5463°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake southeast of Easter Island?
The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck southeast of Easter Island on December 23, 2021 at 20:55 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -41.0045°, -91.5463°, which is southeast of Easter Island.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.9 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000gewv). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, December 23, 2021). M4.9 Earthquake southeast of Easter Island — December 23, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000gewv/