5.3

M5.3 Earthquake southeast of the Loyalty IslandsMarch 31, 2022

2022-03-31 15:29:53 UTC (2022-03-31) · approx. 2:29 AM UTC+11 local

MagnitudeM5.3(mww)
Time15:29 UTC2:29 AM UTC+11
Depth10.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates-22.685°, 170.729°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On March 31, 2022 at 15:29 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck southeast of the Loyalty Islands, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -22.6847°, 170.7293°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at -22.68°, 170.73°

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.3 mww
Depth
10.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
-22.6847°N
170.7293°E

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000gyqw
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
432
Azimuthal Gap
49.0°
Min Station Distance
3.033°
RMS Residual
0.84 sec
Last Updated
2022-06-04 20:42:30 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake southeast of the Loyalty Islands?

The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck southeast of the Loyalty Islands on March 31, 2022 at 15:29 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 -22.6847°, 170.7293°, which is southeast of the Loyalty Islands.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.3 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000gyqw). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, March 31, 2022). M5.3 Earthquake southeast of the Loyalty IslandsMarch 31, 2022. Retrieved June 4, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000gyqw/