M6.1 Earthquake 40 km WSW of Pointe-Noire, Guadeloupe — January 20, 2023
2023-01-20 11:23:40 UTC (2023-01-20) · approx. 7:23 AM UTC-4 local
Felt by 170 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.5 (moderate).
On January 20, 2023 at 11:23 UTC, a magnitude 6.1 intermediate depth earthquake struck 40 km WSW of Pointe-Noire, Guadeloupe, at a depth of 162.0 km and coordinates 16.1397°, -62.1529°. The earthquake was reported felt by 170 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 4.5 (moderate). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 160 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 646, making it a moderate-impact event. The nearest populated place is Les Abymes (population 63,058).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 21 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 9.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 4.5 (moderate), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Mild shaking, similar to a passing truck. Hanging objects swing. Glasses and dishes may rattle. Not commonly felt outdoors.
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 170 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
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 480,871 |
| MMI 4 | light | 544,318 |
Earthquake Details
-62.1529°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.1 earthquake near Pointe-Noire, Guadeloupe?
The magnitude 6.1 earthquake that struck 40 km WSW of Pointe-Noire, Guadeloupe on January 20, 2023 at 11:23 UTC had a depth of 162.0 km. It was felt by 170 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 4.5 (moderate). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 16.1397°, -62.1529°, which is 40 km WSW of Pointe-Noire, Guadeloupe. The nearest populated place is Les Abymes (population 63,058).
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.1 earthquakes can continue for weeks to months and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000j5sc). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, January 20, 2023). M6.1 Earthquake 40 km WSW of Pointe-Noire, Guadeloupe — January 20, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000j5sc/