M4.8 Earthquake 150 km SSE of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen — May 17, 2023
2023-05-17 21:22:03 UTC (2023-05-17) · approx. 10:22 PM UTC+1 local
On May 17, 2023 at 21:22 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 150 km SSE of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 76.9907°, 18.2164°. This earthquake was detected by 193 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 354, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.2 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
18.2164°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake near Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen?
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck 150 km SSE of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen on May 17, 2023 at 21:22 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 76.9907°, 18.2164°, which is 150 km SSE of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.8 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000kcmd). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, May 17, 2023). M4.8 Earthquake 150 km SSE of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen — May 17, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000kcmd/