M4.7 Earthquake southwest of Africa — May 9, 2024
2024-05-09 22:55:58 UTC (2024-05-09) · approx. 11:55 PM UTC+1 local
On May 9, 2024 at 22:55 UTC, a magnitude 4.7 shallow crustal earthquake struck southwest of Africa, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -52.9151°, 10.2549°. This earthquake was detected by 25 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 340, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.7 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 169 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.1 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
10.2549°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.7 earthquake southwest of Africa?
The magnitude 4.7 earthquake that struck southwest of Africa on May 9, 2024 at 22:55 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 -52.9151°, 10.2549°, which is southwest of Africa.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.7 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000myzi). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, May 9, 2024). M4.7 Earthquake southwest of Africa — May 9, 2024. Retrieved July 20, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000myzi/