M4.9 Earthquake in the Balleny Islands region — March 31, 2024
2024-03-31 17:04:30 UTC (2024-03-31) · approx. 3:04 AM UTC+10 local
On March 31, 2024 at 17:04 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck in the Balleny Islands region, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -62.5195°, 156.6351°. This earthquake was detected by 17 seismic stations with good 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
156.6351°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake in the Balleny Islands region?
The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck in the Balleny Islands region on March 31, 2024 at 17:04 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 -62.5195°, 156.6351°, which is in the Balleny 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.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000ma86). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, March 31, 2024). M4.9 Earthquake in the Balleny Islands region — March 31, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000ma86/