M5.1 Earthquake in the Kermadec Islands region — October 20, 2022
2022-10-20 09:40:02 UTC (2022-10-20) · approx. 9:40 PM UTC-12 local
On October 20, 2022 at 09:40 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 deep-focus earthquake struck in the Kermadec Islands region, at a depth of 351.2 km and coordinates -30.2419°, -179.2976°. This earthquake was detected by 85 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 400, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 674 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.0 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
-179.2976°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.1 earthquake in the Kermadec Islands region?
The magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck in the Kermadec Islands region on October 20, 2022 at 09:40 UTC had a depth of 351.2 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -30.2419°, -179.2976°, which is in the Kermadec Islands region.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.1 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000iv5t). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, October 20, 2022). M5.1 Earthquake in the Kermadec Islands region — October 20, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000iv5t/