M5.3 Earthquake near northern East Pacific Rise — December 17, 2024
2024-12-17 09:22:31 UTC (2024-12-17) · approx. 2:22 AM UTC-7 local
On December 17, 2024 at 09:22 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck near northern East Pacific Rise, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 8.3722°, -103.1132°. This earthquake was detected by 127 seismic stations with moderate location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 432, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
-103.1132°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake near northern East Pacific Rise?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck near northern East Pacific Rise on December 17, 2024 at 09:22 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 8.3722°, -103.1132°, which is near northern East Pacific Rise.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.3 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000nzi3). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, December 17, 2024). M5.3 Earthquake near northern East Pacific Rise — December 17, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000nzi3/