M4.5 Earthquake near southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge — May 23, 2023
2023-05-23 20:55:35 UTC (2023-05-23) · approx. 7:55 PM UTC-1 local
On May 23, 2023 at 20:55 UTC, a magnitude 4.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck near southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -18.0671°, -12.4291°. This earthquake was detected by 29 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 312, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 85 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 767 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
-12.4291°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.5 earthquake near southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge?
The magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck near southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge on May 23, 2023 at 20:55 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 -18.0671°, -12.4291°, which is near southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.5 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000k50g). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, May 23, 2023). M4.5 Earthquake near southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge — May 23, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000k50g/