M4.4 Earthquake south of Africa — December 25, 2021
2021-12-25 21:18:14 UTC (2021-12-25) · approx. 11:18 PM UTC+2 local
On December 25, 2021 at 21:18 UTC, a magnitude 4.4 shallow crustal earthquake struck south of Africa, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -52.7797°, 27.5819°.
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
27.5819°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.4 earthquake south of Africa?
The magnitude 4.4 earthquake that struck south of Africa on December 25, 2021 at 21:18 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: us7000g9lk). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, December 25, 2021). M4.4 Earthquake south of Africa — December 25, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000g9lk/