M4.5 Earthquake in the Kermadec Islands region — October 21, 2022
2022-10-21 19:16:23 UTC (2022-10-21) · approx. 7:16 AM UTC-12 local
On October 21, 2022 at 19:16 UTC, a magnitude 4.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck in the Kermadec Islands region, at a depth of 9.6 km and coordinates -28.3394°, -177.3390°. This earthquake was detected by 8 seismic stations with limited location accuracy due to sparse station coverage and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 312, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 85 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 767 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
-177.3390°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.5 earthquake in the Kermadec Islands region?
The magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck in the Kermadec Islands region on October 21, 2022 at 19:16 UTC had a depth of 9.6 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -28.3394°, -177.3390°, which is in the Kermadec Islands region.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.5 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000iwez). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, October 21, 2022). M4.5 Earthquake in the Kermadec Islands region — October 21, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000iwez/