M5.0 Earthquake near Santa Cruz Islands — November 17, 2021
2021-11-17 23:46:49 UTC (2021-11-17) · approx. 10:46 AM UTC+11 local
On November 17, 2021 at 23:46 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck near Santa Cruz Islands, at a depth of 35.0 km and coordinates -10.6512°, 165.2160°.
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
165.2160°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Santa Cruz Islands?
The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck near Santa Cruz Islands on November 17, 2021 at 23:46 UTC had a depth of 35.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -10.6512°, 165.2160°, which is near Santa Cruz Islands.
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: us7000fuyl). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, November 17, 2021). M5.0 Earthquake near Santa Cruz Islands — November 17, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000fuyl/