M4.2 Earthquake 26 km NNE of Santa Elena, Ecuador — February 16, 2024
2024-02-16 19:02:32 UTC (2024-02-16) · approx. 2:02 PM UTC-5 local
On February 16, 2024 at 19:02 UTC, a magnitude 4.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 26 km NNE of Santa Elena, Ecuador, at a depth of 32.3 km and coordinates -2.0009°, -80.7707°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 30 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 476 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 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
Earthquake Details
-80.7707°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.2 earthquake near Santa Elena, Ecuador?
The magnitude 4.2 earthquake that struck 26 km NNE of Santa Elena, Ecuador on February 16, 2024 at 19:02 UTC had a depth of 32.3 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.2 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
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Understanding This Data
Magnitude 4.2 earthquakes are often felt but rarely cause damage.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000lzqj). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, February 16, 2024). M4.2 Earthquake 26 km NNE of Santa Elena, Ecuador — February 16, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000lzqj/