M4.8 Earthquake in the Kermadec Islands region — January 21, 2025
2025-01-21 18:42:14 UTC (2025-01-21) · approx. 6:42 AM UTC-12 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M5.2 mainshock.
On January 21, 2025 at 18:42 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck in the Kermadec Islands region, at a depth of 35.8 km and coordinates -31.4304°, -178.0207°. This earthquake was detected by 29 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 355, 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.
This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.2 mainshock that occurred 2 days ago in the Kermadec Islands region. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 0 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 1 citizen response to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
-178.0207°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake in the Kermadec Islands region?
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck in the Kermadec Islands region on January 21, 2025 at 18:42 UTC had a depth of 35.8 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -31.4304°, -178.0207°, which is in the Kermadec Islands region.
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.
Is this the same earthquake as the M5.2 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 4.8 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.2 mainshock that occurred earlier in the Kermadec Islands region. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000plh8). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, January 21, 2025). M4.8 Earthquake in the Kermadec Islands region — January 21, 2025. Retrieved March 29, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000plh8/