M4.8 Earthquake near South Shetland Islands — May 1, 2024
2024-05-01 07:55:31 UTC (2024-05-01) · approx. 3:55 AM UTC-4 local
On May 1, 2024 at 07:55 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck near South Shetland Islands, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -62.1217°, -56.4911°. This earthquake was detected by 30 seismic stations with excellent 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
-56.4911°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake near South Shetland Islands?
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck near South Shetland Islands on May 1, 2024 at 07:55 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -62.1217°, -56.4911°, which is near South Shetland 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: us6000mx9g). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, May 1, 2024). M4.8 Earthquake near South Shetland Islands — May 1, 2024. Retrieved July 15, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000mx9g/