M4.6 Earthquake near off the coast of Central America — February 14, 2022
2022-02-14 17:32:11 UTC (2022-02-14) · approx. 11:32 AM UTC-6 local
Aftershock of the M5.0 mainshock.
On February 14, 2022 at 17:32 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck near off the coast of Central America, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 3.3713°, -83.0445°.
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.
This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.0 mainshock that occurred 10 days ago near off the coast of Central America. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 1 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.
Earthquake Details
-83.0445°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.6 earthquake near off the coast of Central America?
The magnitude 4.6 earthquake that struck near off the coast of Central America on February 14, 2022 at 17:32 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 3.3713°, -83.0445°, which is near off the coast of Central America.
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.
Is this the same earthquake as the M5.0 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 4.6 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.0 mainshock that occurred earlier near off the coast of Central America. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000gksz). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, February 14, 2022). M4.6 Earthquake near off the coast of Central America — February 14, 2022. Retrieved April 30, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000gksz/