M3.5 Earthquake 8 km SSE of Randfontein, South Africa — August 30, 2023
2023-08-30 19:24:50 UTC (2023-08-30) · approx. 9:24 PM UTC+2 local
Felt by 21 people across nearby locations.
On August 30, 2023 at 19:24 UTC, a magnitude 3.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 8 km SSE of Randfontein, South Africa, at a depth of 5.0 km and coordinates -26.2534°, 27.7417°. This earthquake was detected by 15 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 200, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 2.7 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 157 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 21 citizen responses 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
27.7417°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.5 earthquake near Randfontein, South Africa?
The magnitude 3.5 earthquake that struck 8 km SSE of Randfontein, South Africa on August 30, 2023 at 19:24 UTC had a depth of 5.0 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -26.2534°, 27.7417°, which is 8 km SSE of Randfontein, South Africa.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.5 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000ks6b). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, August 30, 2023). M3.5 Earthquake 8 km SSE of Randfontein, South Africa — August 30, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000ks6b/