M5.1 Earthquake in the Prince Edward Islands region — May 21, 2023
2023-05-21 17:23:20 UTC (2023-05-21) · approx. 8:23 PM UTC+3 local
On May 21, 2023 at 17:23 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck in the Prince Edward Islands region, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -43.8739°, 39.3827°. This earthquake was detected by 73 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 400, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 674 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.0 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
39.3827°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.1 earthquake in the Prince Edward Islands region?
The magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck in the Prince Edward Islands region on May 21, 2023 at 17:23 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 -43.8739°, 39.3827°, which is in the Prince Edward Islands region.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.1 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000kdpx). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, May 21, 2023). M5.1 Earthquake in the Prince Edward Islands region — May 21, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000kdpx/