M4.9 Earthquake south of Africa — November 12, 2020
2020-11-12 11:10:05 UTC (2020-11-12) · approx. 1:10 PM UTC+2 local
On November 12, 2020 at 11:10 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck south of Africa, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -52.6478°, 28.0535°.
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
28.0535°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake south of Africa?
The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck south of Africa on November 12, 2020 at 11:10 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 -52.6478°, 28.0535°, which is south of Africa.
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: us7000cdrr). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, November 12, 2020). M4.9 Earthquake south of Africa — November 12, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000cdrr/