M4.8 Earthquake near off the coast of Ecuador — January 19, 2023
2023-01-19 17:43:41 UTC (2023-01-19) · approx. 11:43 AM UTC-6 local
On January 19, 2023 at 17:43 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck near off the coast of Ecuador, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 1.2220°, -85.3077°. This earthquake was detected by 74 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 354, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.2 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
-85.3077°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake near off the coast of Ecuador?
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck near off the coast of Ecuador on January 19, 2023 at 17:43 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 1.2220°, -85.3077°, which is near off the coast of Ecuador.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.8 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000j5kj). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, January 19, 2023). M4.8 Earthquake near off the coast of Ecuador — January 19, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000j5kj/