4.9

M4.9 Earthquake 280 km N of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands — September 2, 2020

2020-09-02 02:45:41 UTC (2020-09-02) · approx. 12:45 PM UTC+10 local

MagnitudeM4.9(mb)
Time02:45 UTC≈ 12:45 PM UTC+10
Depth571.7 kmdeep-focus
Coordinates17.744°, 145.605°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On September 2, 2020 at 02:45 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 deep-focus earthquake struck 280 km N of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, at a depth of 571.7 km and coordinates 17.7443°, 145.6050°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 338 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.4 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 17.74°, 145.60°

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.9 mb
Depth
571.7 km
deep-focus
Location
17.7443°N
145.6050°E

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000bga4
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
369
Azimuthal Gap
32.0°
Min Station Distance
2.495°
RMS Residual
0.61 sec
Last Updated
2020-11-17 19:44:21 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake near Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands?

The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck 280 km N of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands on September 2, 2020 at 02:45 UTC had a depth of 571.7 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 17.7443°, 145.6050°, which is 280 km N of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.9 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000bga4). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, September 2, 2020). M4.9 Earthquake 280 km N of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands — September 2, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000bga4/