M4.2 Earthquake south of the Kermadec Islands — December 3, 2020
2020-12-03 17:13:19 UTC (2020-12-03) · approx. 5:13 AM UTC-12 local
On December 3, 2020 at 17:13 UTC, a magnitude 4.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck south of the Kermadec Islands, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -32.8550°, -178.4341°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 30 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 476 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
-178.4341°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.2 earthquake south of the Kermadec Islands?
The magnitude 4.2 earthquake that struck south of the Kermadec Islands on December 3, 2020 at 17:13 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.2 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
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Understanding This Data
Magnitude 4.2 earthquakes are often felt but rarely cause damage.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000cnvq). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, December 3, 2020). M4.2 Earthquake south of the Kermadec Islands — December 3, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000cnvq/