M5.3 Earthquake 45 km WSW of Jiquilillo, Nicaragua — September 14, 2022
2022-09-14 08:44:35 UTC (2022-09-14) · approx. 2:44 AM UTC-6 local
Felt by 4 people across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M5.5 mainshock.
On September 14, 2022 at 08:44 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck 45 km WSW of Jiquilillo, Nicaragua, at a depth of 66.8 km and coordinates 12.5455°, -87.8211°. This earthquake was detected by 95 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 434, placing it among routine seismic activity.
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.
This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.5 mainshock that occurred 27 days ago 48 km SSW of Intipucá, El Salvador. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 0 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 4 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
-87.8211°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Jiquilillo, Nicaragua?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck 45 km WSW of Jiquilillo, Nicaragua on September 14, 2022 at 08:44 UTC had a depth of 66.8 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 12.5455°, -87.8211°, which is 45 km WSW of Jiquilillo, Nicaragua.
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.
Is this the same earthquake as the M5.5 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 5.3 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.5 mainshock that occurred earlier 48 km SSW of Intipucá, El Salvador. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000i7w6). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, September 14, 2022). M5.3 Earthquake 45 km WSW of Jiquilillo, Nicaragua — September 14, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000i7w6/