5.0

M5.0 Earthquake southwest of AfricaFebruary 8, 2022

2022-02-08 08:51:38 UTC (2022-02-08) · approx. 9:51 AM UTC+1 local

MagnitudeM5.0(mb)
Time08:51 UTC9:51 AM UTC+1
Depth10.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates-53.231°, 9.464°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On February 8, 2022 at 08:51 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck southwest of Africa, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -53.2311°, 9.4643°.

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.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at -53.23°, 9.46°

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.0 mb
Depth
10.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
-53.2311°N
9.4643°E

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000gj1q
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
385
Azimuthal Gap
49.0°
Min Station Distance
19.282°
RMS Residual
0.95 sec
Last Updated
2022-04-19 17:39:06 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake southwest of Africa?

The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck southwest of Africa on February 8, 2022 at 08:51 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at -53.2311°, 9.4643°, which is southwest of Africa.

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.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000gj1q). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, February 8, 2022). M5.0 Earthquake southwest of AfricaFebruary 8, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000gj1q/