M4.5 Earthquake 175 km N of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands — July 20, 2023
2023-07-20 20:47:06 UTC (2023-07-20) · approx. 6:47 AM UTC+10 local
On July 20, 2023 at 20:47 UTC, a magnitude 4.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 175 km N of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, at a depth of 9.9 km and coordinates 16.7763°, 146.0529°. This earthquake was detected by 53 seismic stations with good 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
146.0529°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.5 earthquake near Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands?
The magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck 175 km N of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands on July 20, 2023 at 20:47 UTC had a depth of 9.9 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 16.7763°, 146.0529°, which is 175 km N of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands.
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.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000kw6n). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, July 20, 2023). M4.5 Earthquake 175 km N of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands — July 20, 2023. Retrieved September 28, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000kw6n/