4.8

M4.8 Earthquake in the South Georgia Island region — May 10, 2021

2021-05-10 08:56:49 UTC (2021-05-10) · approx. 6:56 AM UTC-2 local

MagnitudeM4.8(mb)
Time08:56 UTC≈ 6:56 AM UTC-2
Depth10.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates-55.094°, -31.728°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On May 10, 2021 at 08:56 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck in the South Georgia Island region, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -55.0942°, -31.7278°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.2 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at -55.09°, -31.73°

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.8 mb
Depth
10.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
-55.0942°N
-31.7278°E

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000e3t0
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
354
Azimuthal Gap
65.0°
Min Station Distance
8.930°
RMS Residual
0.50 sec
Last Updated
2021-07-23 18:08:45 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake in the South Georgia Island region?

The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck in the South Georgia Island region on May 10, 2021 at 08:56 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at -55.0942°, -31.7278°, which is in the South Georgia Island region.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.8 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000e3t0). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, May 10, 2021). M4.8 Earthquake in the South Georgia Island region — May 10, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000e3t0/