M4.5 Earthquake in the South Georgia Island region — May 18, 2021
2021-05-18 20:29:57 UTC (2021-05-18) · approx. 6:29 PM UTC-2 local
On May 18, 2021 at 20:29 UTC, a magnitude 4.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck in the South Georgia Island region, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -55.2127°, -31.9951°.
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.
Earthquake Details
-31.9951°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.5 earthquake in the South Georgia Island region?
The magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck in the South Georgia Island region on May 18, 2021 at 20:29 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 -55.2127°, -31.9951°, which is in the South Georgia Island region.
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: us7000e5uc). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, May 18, 2021). M4.5 Earthquake in the South Georgia Island region — May 18, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000e5uc/