M5.2 Earthquake southeast of Easter Island — December 18, 2024
2024-12-18 09:08:54 UTC (2024-12-18) · approx. 2:08 AM UTC-7 local
On December 18, 2024 at 09:08 UTC, a magnitude 5.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck southeast of Easter Island, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -35.9333°, -102.1020°. This earthquake was detected by 69 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 416, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 951 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.3 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
-102.1020°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.2 earthquake southeast of Easter Island?
The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that struck southeast of Easter Island on December 18, 2024 at 09:08 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 -35.9333°, -102.1020°, which is southeast of Easter Island.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.2 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000nzrn). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, December 18, 2024). M5.2 Earthquake southeast of Easter Island — December 18, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000nzrn/