M5.8 Earthquake 115 km SSE of Vilyuchinsk, Russia — December 23, 2023
2023-12-23 17:48:05 UTC (2023-12-23) · approx. 4:48 AM UTC+11 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.
On December 23, 2023 at 17:48 UTC, a magnitude 5.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 115 km SSE of Vilyuchinsk, Russia, at a depth of 41.9 km and coordinates 51.9532°, 158.9550°. The earthquake was reported felt by 1 personacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 3.9 (light). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 420 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 518, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Paratunka (population 1,767).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 8 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 6.1 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Russia, a region characterized by the Kuril-Kamchatka subduction zone on the northwestern Pacific Ring of Fire. The nearest mapped fault system is the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench. View all earthquakes in Russia.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Nearest Populated Places
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
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
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 272,150 |
| MMI 4 | light | 864 |
Earthquake Details
158.9550°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.8 earthquake near Vilyuchinsk, Russia?
The magnitude 5.8 earthquake that struck 115 km SSE of Vilyuchinsk, Russia on December 23, 2023 at 17:48 UTC had a depth of 41.9 km. It was felt by 1 person with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 3.9 (light). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 51.9532°, 158.9550°, which is 115 km SSE of Vilyuchinsk, Russia. The nearest populated place is Paratunka (population 1,767). View all earthquakes in Russia.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.8 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Has Russia had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Russia was the M9.0 Kamchatka earthquake of November 4, 1952. Today's magnitude 5.8 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000ll46). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, December 23, 2023). M5.8 Earthquake 115 km SSE of Vilyuchinsk, Russia — December 23, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000ll46/