M5.3 Earthquake near Southwest Indian Ridge — December 12, 2023
2023-12-12 07:44:59 UTC (2023-12-12) · approx. 11:44 AM UTC+4 local
On December 12, 2023 at 07:44 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck near Southwest Indian Ridge, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -31.5513°, 57.7440°. This earthquake was detected by 78 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 432, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
57.7440°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Southwest Indian Ridge?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck near Southwest Indian Ridge on December 12, 2023 at 07:44 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -31.5513°, 57.7440°, which is near Southwest Indian Ridge.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.3 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000lic0). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, December 12, 2023). M5.3 Earthquake near Southwest Indian Ridge — December 12, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000lic0/