M6.2 Earthquake 257 km N of Fais, Micronesia — July 6, 2020
2020-07-06 18:16:18 UTC (2020-07-06) · approx. 3:16 AM UTC+9 local
On July 6, 2020 at 18:16 UTC, a magnitude 6.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 257 km N of Fais, Micronesia, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 12.0809°, 140.2476°. The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. The nearest populated place is Rumung (population 0).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 30 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 11 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Nearest Populated Places
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.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 9,570 |
Earthquake Details
140.2476°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.2 earthquake near Fais, Micronesia?
The magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck 257 km N of Fais, Micronesia on July 6, 2020 at 18:16 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 12.0809°, 140.2476°, which is 257 km N of Fais, Micronesia. The nearest populated place is Rumung (population 0).
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.2 earthquakes can continue for weeks to months and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000aixy). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, July 6, 2020). M6.2 Earthquake 257 km N of Fais, Micronesia — July 6, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000aixy/