4.9

M4.9 Earthquake in the Mariana Islands regionMay 3, 2022

2022-05-03 16:35:31 UTC (2022-05-03) · approx. 2:35 AM UTC+10 local

MagnitudeM4.9(mb)
Time16:35 UTC2:35 AM UTC+10
Depth35.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates17.952°, 147.295°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On May 3, 2022 at 16:35 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck in the Mariana Islands region, at a depth of 35.0 km and coordinates 17.9521°, 147.2951°. This earthquake was detected by 66 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 369, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 338 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.4 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 17.95°, 147.30°

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.9 mb
Depth
35.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
17.9521°N
147.2951°E

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000h6tt
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
369
Stations Used
66
Azimuthal Gap
83.0°
Min Station Distance
4.926°
RMS Residual
0.52 sec
Last Updated
2022-07-09 21:39:55 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake in the Mariana Islands region?

The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck in the Mariana Islands region on May 3, 2022 at 16:35 UTC had a depth of 35.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 17.9521°, 147.2951°, which is in the Mariana Islands region.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.9 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000h6tt). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, May 3, 2022). M4.9 Earthquake in the Mariana Islands regionMay 3, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000h6tt/