M4.5 Earthquake near near the coast of Nicaragua — May 18, 2023
2023-05-18 22:13:40 UTC (2023-05-18) · approx. 4:13 PM UTC-6 local
On May 18, 2023 at 22:13 UTC, a magnitude 4.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck near near the coast of Nicaragua, at a depth of 47.7 km and coordinates 12.2562°, -87.7846°. This earthquake was detected by 52 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy 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
-87.7846°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.5 earthquake near near the coast of Nicaragua?
The magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck near near the coast of Nicaragua on May 18, 2023 at 22:13 UTC had a depth of 47.7 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 12.2562°, -87.7846°, which is near near the coast of Nicaragua.
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.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000kcz3). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, May 18, 2023). M4.5 Earthquake near near the coast of Nicaragua — May 18, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000kcz3/