5.0

M5.0 Earthquake south of the Kermadec IslandsAugust 27, 2024

2024-08-27 22:43:05 UTC (2024-08-27) · approx. 10:43 AM UTC+12 local

MagnitudeM5.0(mww)
Time22:43 UTC10:43 AM UTC+12
Depth61.9 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates-34.415°, 179.862°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS· green PAGER
green Alertno significant casualties or damage expected

On August 27, 2024 at 22:43 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck south of the Kermadec Islands, at a depth of 61.9 km and coordinates -34.4151°, 179.8618°. The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 104 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.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at -34.42°, 179.86°

ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity

Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.

USGS ShakeMap intensity contours for the M5.0 earthquake near south of the Kermadec Islands

Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.0 mww
Depth
61.9 km
shallow crustal
Location
-34.4151°N
179.8618°E
Intensity (MMI)
2.0
weak

Technical Information

Event ID
us6000nn4q
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
385
Stations Used
104
Azimuthal Gap
64.0°
Min Station Distance
3.384°
RMS Residual
0.91 sec
Last Updated
2024-11-09 21:18:31 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake south of the Kermadec Islands?

The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck south of the Kermadec Islands on August 27, 2024 at 22:43 UTC had a depth of 61.9 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at -34.4151°, 179.8618°, which is south of the Kermadec Islands.

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.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000nn4q). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, August 27, 2024). M5.0 Earthquake south of the Kermadec IslandsAugust 27, 2024. Retrieved November 9, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000nn4q/