M5.1 Earthquake southwest of Africa — May 18, 2021
2021-05-18 17:49:08 UTC (2021-05-18) · approx. 6:49 PM UTC+1 local
On May 18, 2021 at 17:49 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck southwest of Africa, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -52.1973°, 15.8159°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 674 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.0 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
15.8159°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.1 earthquake southwest of Africa?
The magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck southwest of Africa on May 18, 2021 at 17:49 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 -52.1973°, 15.8159°, which is southwest of Africa.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.1 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000e46m). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, May 18, 2021). M5.1 Earthquake southwest of Africa — May 18, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000e46m/