M5.2 Earthquake 50 km W of Jiquilillo, Nicaragua — February 27, 2023
2023-02-27 18:46:06 UTC (2023-02-27) · approx. 12:46 PM UTC-6 local
Felt by 16 people across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M5.5 mainshock.
On February 27, 2023 at 18:46 UTC, a magnitude 5.2 intermediate depth earthquake struck 50 km W of Jiquilillo, Nicaragua, at a depth of 72.1 km and coordinates 12.7603°, -87.9127°. This earthquake was detected by 74 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 421, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 951 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.3 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 20 days ago 69 km SSW of Chirilagua, 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 16 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
-87.9127°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.2 earthquake near Jiquilillo, Nicaragua?
The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that struck 50 km W of Jiquilillo, Nicaragua on February 27, 2023 at 18:46 UTC had a depth of 72.1 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 12.7603°, -87.9127°, which is 50 km W of Jiquilillo, Nicaragua.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.2 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 5.2 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.5 mainshock that occurred earlier 69 km SSW of Chirilagua, El Salvador. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000jg2l). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, February 27, 2023). M5.2 Earthquake 50 km W of Jiquilillo, Nicaragua — February 27, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000jg2l/