M4.8 Earthquake 219 km WSW of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen — August 17, 2026
2026-08-17 19:51:23 UTC (1 hour ago) · approx. 7:51 PM UTC+0 local
On August 17, 2026 at 19:51 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 219 km WSW of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 77.5754°, 6.7910°. This earthquake was detected by 62 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 354, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.2 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
6.7910°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake near Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen?
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck 219 km WSW of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen on August 17, 2026 at 19:51 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 77.5754°, 6.7910°, which is 219 km WSW of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.8 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: usd0015efp). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, August 17, 2026). M4.8 Earthquake 219 km WSW of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen — August 17, 2026. Retrieved August 17, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/usd0015efp/