M4.2 Earthquake in the South Sandwich Islands region — August 9, 2022
2022-08-09 18:49:19 UTC (2022-08-09) · approx. 4:49 PM UTC-2 local
On August 9, 2022 at 18:49 UTC, a magnitude 4.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck in the South Sandwich Islands region, at a depth of 52.7 km and coordinates -55.3185°, -29.4719°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 30 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 476 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
-29.4719°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.2 earthquake in the South Sandwich Islands region?
The magnitude 4.2 earthquake that struck in the South Sandwich Islands region on August 9, 2022 at 18:49 UTC had a depth of 52.7 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 4.2 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
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Understanding This Data
Magnitude 4.2 earthquakes are often felt but rarely cause damage.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000ibw5). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, August 9, 2022). M4.2 Earthquake in the South Sandwich Islands region — August 9, 2022. Retrieved October 21, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000ibw5/