M3.1 Earthquake 23 km E of Nigel, South Africa — August 27, 2022
2022-08-27 22:56:45 UTC (2022-08-27) · approx. 12:56 AM UTC+2 local
Felt by 10 people across nearby locations.
On August 27, 2022 at 22:56 UTC, a magnitude 3.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck 23 km E of Nigel, South Africa, at a depth of 5.0 km and coordinates -26.4337°, 28.7077°. This earthquake was detected by 11 seismic stations with moderate location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 153, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 674 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 83 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 10 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
28.7077°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.1 earthquake near Nigel, South Africa?
The magnitude 3.1 earthquake that struck 23 km E of Nigel, South Africa on August 27, 2022 at 22:56 UTC had a depth of 5.0 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -26.4337°, 28.7077°, which is 23 km E of Nigel, South Africa.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.1 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000i31z). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, August 27, 2022). M3.1 Earthquake 23 km E of Nigel, South Africa — August 27, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000i31z/