M3.4 Earthquake 4 km NE of Eastborough, Kansas — December 19, 2020
2020-12-19 18:47:54 UTC (2020-12-19) · approx. 12:47 PM UTC-6 local
Felt by 805 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.3 (moderate).
On December 19, 2020 at 18:47 UTC, a magnitude 3.4 shallow crustal earthquake struck 4 km NE of Eastborough, Kansas, at a depth of 5.0 km and coordinates 37.7156°, -97.2279°. The earthquake was reported felt by 805 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 4.3 (moderate).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1.9 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 134 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 4.3 (moderate), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Mild shaking, similar to a passing truck. Hanging objects swing. Glasses and dishes may rattle. Not commonly felt outdoors.
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 805 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
-97.2279°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.4 earthquake near Eastborough, Kansas?
The magnitude 3.4 earthquake that struck 4 km NE of Eastborough, Kansas on December 19, 2020 at 18:47 UTC had a depth of 5.0 km. It was felt by 805 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 4.3 (moderate). For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 37.7156°, -97.2279°, which is 4 km NE of Eastborough, Kansas.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.4 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000cshm). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, December 19, 2020). M3.4 Earthquake 4 km NE of Eastborough, Kansas — December 19, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000cshm/