M5.0 Earthquake 298 km SW of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen — November 16, 2023
2023-11-16 09:21:18 UTC (2023-11-16) · approx. 9:21 AM UTC+0 local
On November 16, 2023 at 09:21 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 298 km SW of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 76.3365°, 7.0233°. This earthquake was detected by 91 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 385, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
7.0233°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen?
The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck 298 km SW of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen on November 16, 2023 at 09:21 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 76.3365°, 7.0233°, which is 298 km SW of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.0 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000lnsa). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, November 16, 2023). M5.0 Earthquake 298 km SW of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen — November 16, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000lnsa/