M4.9 Earthquake 70 km SSW of Chirilagua, El Salvador — January 30, 2023
2023-01-30 09:52:07 UTC (2023-01-30) · approx. 3:52 AM UTC-6 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M5.5 mainshock.
On January 30, 2023 at 09:52 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck 70 km SSW of Chirilagua, El Salvador, at a depth of 63.6 km and coordinates 12.5936°, -88.2741°. This earthquake was detected by 68 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 370, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 338 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.4 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.5 mainshock that occurred 21 days ago 69 km SSW of Chirilagua, El Salvador. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 0 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 1 citizen response 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
Earthquake Details
-88.2741°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake near Chirilagua, El Salvador?
The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck 70 km SSW of Chirilagua, El Salvador on January 30, 2023 at 09:52 UTC had a depth of 63.6 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 12.5936°, -88.2741°, which is 70 km SSW of Chirilagua, El Salvador.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.9 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Is this the same earthquake as the M5.5 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 4.9 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.5 mainshock that occurred earlier 69 km SSW of Chirilagua, El Salvador. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000jka2). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, January 30, 2023). M4.9 Earthquake 70 km SSW of Chirilagua, El Salvador — January 30, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000jka2/