M5.0 Earthquake southeast of the Loyalty Islands — May 31, 2024
2024-05-31 15:44:11 UTC (2024-05-31) · approx. 2:44 AM UTC+11 local
On May 31, 2024 at 15:44 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck southeast of the Loyalty Islands, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -23.3180°, 171.5452°. This earthquake was detected by 92 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 385, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
171.5452°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake southeast of the Loyalty Islands?
The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck southeast of the Loyalty Islands on May 31, 2024 at 15:44 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 -23.3180°, 171.5452°, which is southeast of the Loyalty Islands.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.0 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000mp9a). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, May 31, 2024). M5.0 Earthquake southeast of the Loyalty Islands — May 31, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000mp9a/