M4.9 Earthquake southeast of the Loyalty Islands — June 20, 2023
2023-06-20 23:02:01 UTC (2023-06-20) · approx. 10:02 AM UTC+11 local
On June 20, 2023 at 23:02 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck southeast of the Loyalty Islands, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -23.2966°, 170.7936°. This earthquake was detected by 49 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 369, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 338 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.4 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
170.7936°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake southeast of the Loyalty Islands?
The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck southeast of the Loyalty Islands on June 20, 2023 at 23:02 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 -23.2966°, 170.7936°, which is southeast of the Loyalty Islands.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.9 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000ka2s). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, June 20, 2023). M4.9 Earthquake southeast of the Loyalty Islands — June 20, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000ka2s/