M4.7 Earthquake north of Ascension Island — May 31, 2023
2023-05-31 16:46:52 UTC (2023-05-31) · approx. 3:46 PM UTC-1 local
On May 31, 2023 at 16:46 UTC, a magnitude 4.7 shallow crustal earthquake struck north of Ascension Island, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -1.1690°, -15.7841°. This earthquake was detected by 17 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 340, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.7 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 169 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.1 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
-15.7841°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.7 earthquake north of Ascension Island?
The magnitude 4.7 earthquake that struck north of Ascension Island on May 31, 2023 at 16:46 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 -1.1690°, -15.7841°, which is north of Ascension Island.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.7 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000k6un). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, May 31, 2023). M4.7 Earthquake north of Ascension Island — May 31, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000k6un/