M5.0 Earthquake near Arafura Sea — March 17, 2021
2021-03-17 17:37:52 UTC (2021-03-17) · approx. 2:37 AM UTC+9 local
On March 17, 2021 at 17:37 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck near Arafura Sea, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -8.4928°, 134.9473°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
134.9473°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Arafura Sea?
The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck near Arafura Sea on March 17, 2021 at 17:37 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -8.4928°, 134.9473°, which is near Arafura Sea.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.0 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000dkbl). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, March 17, 2021). M5.0 Earthquake near Arafura Sea — March 17, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000dkbl/