M5.0 Earthquake north of Severnaya Zemlya — December 29, 2021
2021-12-29 13:58:30 UTC (2021-12-29) · approx. 7:58 PM UTC+6 local
On December 29, 2021 at 13:58 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck north of Severnaya Zemlya, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 85.1613°, 92.5292°.
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
92.5292°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake north of Severnaya Zemlya?
The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck north of Severnaya Zemlya on December 29, 2021 at 13:58 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 85.1613°, 92.5292°, which is north of Severnaya Zemlya.
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: us6000gg4h). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, December 29, 2021). M5.0 Earthquake north of Severnaya Zemlya — December 29, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000gg4h/