QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.4Md

Earthquake near Arecibo, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Arecibo in the 24 hours to 10:04 pm AST (02:04 UTC). The last one was M 3.4, 49 km (31 mi) NW, at 9:00 pm AST on 27 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Arecibo

This page: a magnitude 2.4 earthquake was recorded 21 km (13 mi) north of Arecibo, PR, at 2:42 am AST on 23 November 2016 (06:42 UTC), 7.0 km deep.

USGS: Puerto Rico region

77 km (48 mi) WNW of San Juan, PR · 23 km (14 mi) N of Arecibo, PR

2:42 am AST, Nov 23, 2016 · · 7.0 km deep · released about 120 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Arecibo Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Hatillo Municipio 25 kmArecibo Municipio 26 kmCamuy Municipio 27 kmQuebradillas Municipio 29 kmBarceloneta Municipio 29 kmIsabela Municipio 34 kmManatí Municipio 36 kmFlorida Municipio 38 kmVega Baja Municipio 43 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction and later quakes as coloured dots. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
2:42 am AST on 23 November 2016 ()
Where
21 km (13 mi) north of Arecibo, PR · earthquakes near Arecibo
Magnitude
M 2.4 (Md)
Depth
7.0 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Hatillo Municipio, 25 km SSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3641 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 20 km (12 mi) from the epicentre. In Arecibo, 21 km away, the estimate is intensity II (weak). Estimated from magnitude, depth and distance with the intensity equation USGS Did You Feel It? uses; felt reports, where there are any, are the measurement.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Carrizales, Hatillo, Camuy, Corcovado, Rafael Gonzalez, Animas.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 120 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.4 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 130,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 89,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 7.9× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.4 about 120 lb of TNT

Energy from the Gutenberg–Richter relation (log10E = 1.5M + 4.8), rounded to two figures; bar length is magnitude, which is already a logarithm of energy. Magnitudes of past earthquakes from the USGS catalogue.

Where

Epicentre 18.6611, -66.7457. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Hatillo Municipio, PR 25 km (16 mi) SSW earthquakes near Hatillo Municipio
Arecibo Municipio, PR 26 km (16 mi) SSE earthquakes near Arecibo Municipio
Camuy Municipio, PR 27 km (17 mi) SSW earthquakes near Camuy Municipio
Quebradillas Municipio, PR 29 km (18 mi) SW earthquakes near Quebradillas Municipio
Barceloneta Municipio, PR 29 km (18 mi) SE earthquakes near Barceloneta Municipio
Isabela Municipio, PR 34 km (21 mi) SW earthquakes near Isabela Municipio

Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.

Aftershocks so far

34 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 2.8 Mona Passage
  2. 3.0 67 km N of Carrizales, Puerto Rico
  3. 3.3 69 km N of Carrizales, Puerto Rico
  4. 2.5 22 km N of Tierras Nuevas Poniente, Puerto Rico
  5. 2.8 61 km N of Tierras Nuevas Poniente, Puerto Rico
  6. 2.7 12 km N of Carrizales, Puerto Rico
  7. 2.6 49 km N of Tierras Nuevas Poniente, Puerto Rico
  8. 2.2 22 km NNE of Isabela, Puerto Rico
  9. 2.9 5 km NE of Quebradillas, Puerto Rico
  10. 3.1 68 km N of Hatillo, Puerto Rico
  11. 3.1 18 km NNE of Arecibo, Puerto Rico
  12. 3.4 4 km N of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico
  13. 2.4 12 km NNE of Arecibo, Puerto Rico
  14. 2.8 18 km NNE of Carrizales, Puerto Rico
  15. 2.4 10 km N of Quebradillas, Puerto Rico

Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of . QuakeIndex does not forecast aftershocks. When USGS issues an operational aftershock forecast it appears on the USGS event page.

On USGS

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