M4.8 Earthquake southeast of the Loyalty Islands — March 19, 2024
2024-03-19 21:52:02 UTC (2024-03-19) · approx. 9:52 AM UTC+12 local
On March 19, 2024 at 21:52 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck southeast of the Loyalty Islands, at a depth of 40.1 km and coordinates -22.3848°, 173.3894°. This earthquake was detected by 21 seismic stations with moderate 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
173.3894°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake southeast of the Loyalty Islands?
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck southeast of the Loyalty Islands on March 19, 2024 at 21:52 UTC had a depth of 40.1 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -22.3848°, 173.3894°, which is southeast of the Loyalty Islands.
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: us6000mkjk). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, March 19, 2024). M4.8 Earthquake southeast of the Loyalty Islands — March 19, 2024. Retrieved May 27, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000mkjk/