M4.6 Earthquake 290 km ESE of Vao, New Caledonia — July 11, 2023
2023-07-11 20:41:45 UTC (2023-07-11) · approx. 7:41 AM UTC+11 local
On July 11, 2023 at 20:41 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 290 km ESE of Vao, New Caledonia, at a depth of 19.0 km and coordinates -23.2687°, 170.2581°. This earthquake was detected by 23 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 326, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 120 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 899 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
170.2581°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.6 earthquake near Vao, New Caledonia?
The magnitude 4.6 earthquake that struck 290 km ESE of Vao, New Caledonia on July 11, 2023 at 20:41 UTC had a depth of 19.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -23.2687°, 170.2581°, which is 290 km ESE of Vao, New Caledonia.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.6 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000kgul). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, July 11, 2023). M4.6 Earthquake 290 km ESE of Vao, New Caledonia — July 11, 2023. Retrieved September 16, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000kgul/