M6.6 Earthquake 55 km WSW of Masachapa, Nicaragua — April 21, 2022
2022-04-21 07:42:46 UTC (2022-04-21) · approx. 1:42 AM UTC-6 local
Felt by 159 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 5.3 (strong).
On April 21, 2022 at 07:42 UTC, a magnitude 6.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 55 km WSW of Masachapa, Nicaragua, at a depth of 27.0 km and coordinates 11.5537°, -86.9604°. The earthquake was reported felt by 159 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 5.3 (strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. The nearest populated place is Masachapa (population 5,000).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 120 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 22 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 5.3 (strong), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Moderate shaking that everyone in the area would feel. Sleeping people are awakened. Dishes and windows may break. Unstable objects may be knocked over.
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 159 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 4,437,722 |
| MMI 4 | light | 5,298,295 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 230,541 |
Earthquake Details
-86.9604°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.6 earthquake near Masachapa, Nicaragua?
The magnitude 6.6 earthquake that struck 55 km WSW of Masachapa, Nicaragua on April 21, 2022 at 07:42 UTC had a depth of 27.0 km. It was felt by 159 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 5.3 (strong). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 11.5537°, -86.9604°, which is 55 km WSW of Masachapa, Nicaragua. The nearest populated place is Masachapa (population 5,000).
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.6 earthquakes can continue for weeks to months and gradually diminish over time.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000hf75). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, April 21, 2022). M6.6 Earthquake 55 km WSW of Masachapa, Nicaragua — April 21, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000hf75/