M4.6 Earthquake near off the coast of Central America — February 4, 2023
2023-02-04 16:35:39 UTC (2023-02-04) · approx. 10:35 AM UTC-6 local
Aftershock of the M5.5 mainshock.
On February 4, 2023 at 16:35 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck near off the coast of Central America, at a depth of 57.4 km and coordinates 12.5779°, -88.3187°. This earthquake was detected by 33 seismic stations with moderate location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 326, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 120 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 899 m — 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.
Earthquake Details
-88.3187°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.6 earthquake near off the coast of Central America?
The magnitude 4.6 earthquake that struck near off the coast of Central America on February 4, 2023 at 16:35 UTC had a depth of 57.4 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 12.5779°, -88.3187°, which is near off the coast of Central America.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.6 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 4.6 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.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000jlf4). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, February 4, 2023). M4.6 Earthquake near off the coast of Central America — February 4, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000jlf4/