4.6

M4.6 Earthquake 281 km NE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands — September 7, 2020

2020-09-07 18:44:31 UTC (2020-09-07) · approx. 4:44 AM UTC+10 local

MagnitudeM4.6(mb)
Time18:44 UTC≈ 4:44 AM UTC+10
Depth10.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates17.166°, 147.434°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On September 7, 2020 at 18:44 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 281 km NE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 17.1663°, 147.4338°.

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.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 17.17°, 147.43°

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.6 mb
Depth
10.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
17.1663°N
147.4338°E

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000bjdp
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
326
Azimuthal Gap
60.0°
Min Station Distance
2.482°
RMS Residual
1.01 sec
Last Updated
2020-11-17 19:44:52 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.6 earthquake near Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands?

The magnitude 4.6 earthquake that struck 281 km NE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands on September 7, 2020 at 18:44 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 17.1663°, 147.4338°, which is 281 km NE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands.

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.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000bjdp). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, September 7, 2020). M4.6 Earthquake 281 km NE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands — September 7, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000bjdp/