4.9

M4.9 Earthquake in the Mariana Islands regionOctober 31, 2023

2023-10-31 20:26:15 UTC (2023-10-31) · approx. 6:26 AM UTC+10 local

MagnitudeM4.9(mb)
Time20:26 UTC6:26 AM UTC+10
Depth10.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates20.075°, 147.687°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On October 31, 2023 at 20:26 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck in the Mariana Islands region, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 20.0752°, 147.6871°. This earthquake was detected by 180 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.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 20.08°, 147.69°

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.9 mb
Depth
10.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
20.0752°N
147.6871°E

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000l7x8
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
369
Stations Used
180
Azimuthal Gap
39.0°
Min Station Distance
6.991°
RMS Residual
0.53 sec
Last Updated
2024-01-10 06:01:27 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake in the Mariana Islands region?

The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck in the Mariana Islands region on October 31, 2023 at 20:26 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 20.0752°, 147.6871°, which is in the Mariana Islands region.

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.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000l7x8). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, October 31, 2023). M4.9 Earthquake in the Mariana Islands regionOctober 31, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000l7x8/