M4.9 Earthquake 194 km ENE of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen — November 3, 2020
2020-11-03 20:22:22 UTC (2020-11-03) · approx. 8:22 PM UTC+0 local
On November 3, 2020 at 20:22 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck 194 km ENE of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 71.4070°, -3.5232°.
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.
Earthquake Details
-3.5232°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake near Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen?
The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck 194 km ENE of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen on November 3, 2020 at 20:22 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 71.4070°, -3.5232°, which is 194 km ENE of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen.
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.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000c9z9). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, November 3, 2020). M4.9 Earthquake 194 km ENE of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen — November 3, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000c9z9/