M4.3 Earthquake 262 km WNW of Houma, Tonga — August 20, 2023
2023-08-20 21:57:46 UTC (2023-08-20) · approx. 9:57 AM UTC-12 local
On August 20, 2023 at 21:57 UTC, a magnitude 4.3 deep-focus earthquake struck 262 km WNW of Houma, Tonga, at a depth of 376.2 km and coordinates -19.8807°, -177.4187°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 43 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 558 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 1 citizen response 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
-177.4187°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.3 earthquake near Houma, Tonga?
The magnitude 4.3 earthquake that struck 262 km WNW of Houma, Tonga on August 20, 2023 at 21:57 UTC had a depth of 376.2 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.3 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
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Understanding This Data
Magnitude 4.3 earthquakes are often felt but rarely cause damage.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000kpqm). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, August 20, 2023). M4.3 Earthquake 262 km WNW of Houma, Tonga — August 20, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000kpqm/