M4.4 Earthquake 57 km SW of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea — December 22, 2021
2021-12-22 18:49:54 UTC (2021-12-22) · approx. 4:49 AM UTC+10 local
On December 22, 2021 at 18:49 UTC, a magnitude 4.4 shallow crustal earthquake struck 57 km SW of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -4.5028°, 151.7361°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 60 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 655 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
151.7361°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.4 earthquake near Rabaul, Papua New Guinea?
The magnitude 4.4 earthquake that struck 57 km SW of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea on December 22, 2021 at 18:49 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.4 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
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Understanding This Data
Magnitude 4.4 earthquakes are often felt but rarely cause damage.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000g98s). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, December 22, 2021). M4.4 Earthquake 57 km SW of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea — December 22, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000g98s/