M4.6 Earthquake 245 km E of Rainbow Beach, Australia — January 1, 2022
2022-01-01 14:24:56 UTC (2022-01-01) · approx. 12:24 AM UTC+10 local
On January 1, 2022 at 14:24 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 245 km E of Rainbow Beach, Australia, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -26.0454°, 155.5393°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 120 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 899 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
155.5393°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.6 earthquake near Rainbow Beach, Australia?
The magnitude 4.6 earthquake that struck 245 km E of Rainbow Beach, Australia on January 1, 2022 at 14:24 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 -26.0454°, 155.5393°, which is 245 km E of Rainbow Beach, Australia.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.6 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000gbcs). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, January 1, 2022). M4.6 Earthquake 245 km E of Rainbow Beach, Australia — January 1, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000gbcs/