M4.9 Earthquake 39 km SW of Champerico, Guatemala — January 15, 2021
2021-01-15 21:32:56 UTC (2021-01-15) · approx. 3:32 PM UTC-6 local
Felt by 2 people across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M5.0 mainshock.
On January 15, 2021 at 21:32 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck 39 km SW of Champerico, Guatemala, at a depth of 24.3 km and coordinates 14.0134°, -92.1432°.
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.
This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.0 mainshock that occurred 17 days ago 71 km SSW of Ocós, Guatemala. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 1 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 2 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
-92.1432°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake near Champerico, Guatemala?
The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck 39 km SW of Champerico, Guatemala on January 15, 2021 at 21:32 UTC had a depth of 24.3 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 14.0134°, -92.1432°, which is 39 km SW of Champerico, Guatemala.
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.
Is this the same earthquake as the M5.0 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 4.9 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.0 mainshock that occurred earlier 71 km SSW of Ocós, Guatemala. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000d0gm). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, January 15, 2021). M4.9 Earthquake 39 km SW of Champerico, Guatemala — January 15, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000d0gm/