4.5

M4.5 Earthquake near Kuril Islands — May 20, 2021

2021-05-20 20:21:30 UTC (2021-05-20) · approx. 6:21 AM UTC+10 local

MagnitudeM4.5(mb)
Time20:21 UTC≈ 6:21 AM UTC+10
Depth67.6 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates47.446°, 153.546°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On May 20, 2021 at 20:21 UTC, a magnitude 4.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck near Kuril Islands, at a depth of 67.6 km and coordinates 47.4463°, 153.5462°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 85 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 767 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 47.45°, 153.55°

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.5 mb
Depth
67.6 km
shallow crustal
Location
47.4463°N
153.5462°E

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000e4w1
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
312
Azimuthal Gap
82.0°
Min Station Distance
6.261°
RMS Residual
1.11 sec
Last Updated
2021-07-24 21:08:40 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.5 earthquake near Kuril Islands?

The magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck near Kuril Islands on May 20, 2021 at 20:21 UTC had a depth of 67.6 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 47.4463°, 153.5462°, which is near Kuril Islands.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.5 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000e4w1). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, May 20, 2021). M4.5 Earthquake near Kuril Islands — May 20, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000e4w1/