M5.3 Earthquake in the Owen Fracture Zone region — April 3, 2023
2023-04-03 22:00:22 UTC (2023-04-03) · approx. 2:00 AM UTC+4 local
On April 3, 2023 at 22:00 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck in the Owen Fracture Zone region, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 14.5446°, 56.4004°. This earthquake was detected by 155 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 432, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
56.4004°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake in the Owen Fracture Zone region?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck in the Owen Fracture Zone region on April 3, 2023 at 22:00 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 14.5446°, 56.4004°, which is in the Owen Fracture Zone region.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.3 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000k1u2). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, April 3, 2023). M5.3 Earthquake in the Owen Fracture Zone region — April 3, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000k1u2/