M4.6 Earthquake near South Indian Ocean — May 21, 2025
2025-05-21 17:58:19 UTC (2025-05-21) · approx. 8:58 PM UTC+3 local
On May 21, 2025 at 17:58 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck near South Indian Ocean, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -37.4248°, 51.5607°. This earthquake was detected by 35 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 326, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 120 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 899 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
51.5607°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.6 earthquake near South Indian Ocean?
The magnitude 4.6 earthquake that struck near South Indian Ocean on May 21, 2025 at 17:58 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 -37.4248°, 51.5607°, which is near South Indian Ocean.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.6 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000qi5z). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, May 21, 2025). M4.6 Earthquake near South Indian Ocean — May 21, 2025. Retrieved August 13, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000qi5z/