M5.3 Earthquake in the Azores Islands region — January 2, 2023
2023-01-02 07:20:26 UTC (2023-01-02) · approx. 5:20 AM UTC-2 local
On January 2, 2023 at 07:20 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck in the Azores Islands region, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 40.4756°, -29.3491°. This earthquake was detected by 198 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 432, 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.
Earthquake Details
-29.3491°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake in the Azores Islands region?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck in the Azores Islands region on January 2, 2023 at 07:20 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 40.4756°, -29.3491°, which is in the Azores Islands region.
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.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000j1jv). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, January 2, 2023). M5.3 Earthquake in the Azores Islands region — January 2, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000j1jv/