M5.1 Earthquake near South Shetland Islands — December 5, 2020
2020-12-05 06:48:38 UTC (2020-12-05) · approx. 2:48 AM UTC-4 local
On December 5, 2020 at 06:48 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck near South Shetland Islands, at a depth of 6.8 km and coordinates -62.3307°, -58.2715°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 674 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.0 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
-58.2715°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.1 earthquake near South Shetland Islands?
The magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck near South Shetland Islands on December 5, 2020 at 06:48 UTC had a depth of 6.8 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -62.3307°, -58.2715°, which is near South Shetland Islands.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.1 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000cnci). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, December 5, 2020). M5.1 Earthquake near South Shetland Islands — December 5, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000cnci/