M4.9 Earthquake near Banda Sea — December 15, 2023
2023-12-15 00:02:09 UTC (2023-12-15) · approx. 9:02 AM UTC+9 local
On December 15, 2023 at 00:02 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 intermediate depth earthquake struck near Banda Sea, at a depth of 158.4 km and coordinates -6.8918°, 129.5256°. This earthquake was detected by 67 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.
Earthquake Details
129.5256°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake near Banda Sea?
The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck near Banda Sea on December 15, 2023 at 00:02 UTC had a depth of 158.4 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -6.8918°, 129.5256°, which is near Banda Sea.
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.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000lj5l). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, December 15, 2023). M4.9 Earthquake near Banda Sea — December 15, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000lj5l/