QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.5Md

Earthquake near Tierras Nuevas Poniente, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Tierras Nuevas Poniente in the 24 hours to 6:11 pm AST (22:11 UTC). The last one was M 2.9, 17 km (11 mi) WNW, at 2:05 am AST on 13 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Tierras Nuevas Poniente

This page: a magnitude 2.5 earthquake was recorded 22 km (14 mi) north of Tierras Nuevas Poniente, PR, at 1:54 am AST on 3 February 2017 (05:54 UTC), 66 km deep.

USGS: 22 km N of Tierras Nuevas Poniente, Puerto Rico

53 km (33 mi) WNW of San Juan, PR · 35 km (21 mi) NE of Arecibo, PR

1:54 am AST, Feb 3, 2017 · · 66 km deep · released about 170 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Tierras Nuevas Poniente Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Barceloneta Municipio 22 kmManatí Municipio 24 kmVega Baja Municipio 25 kmVega Alta Municipio 30 kmDorado Municipio 32 kmArecibo Municipio 32 kmFlorida Municipio 33 kmToa Baja Municipio 39 kmMorovis Municipio 39 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
1:54 am AST on 3 February 2017 ()
Where
22 km (14 mi) north of Tierras Nuevas Poniente, PR · earthquakes near Tierras Nuevas Poniente
Magnitude
M 2.5 (Md)
Depth
66 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Barceloneta Municipio, 22 km SSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3569 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth it was probably too small to be felt, even directly above it. In Tierras Nuevas Poniente, 22 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: La Luisa, Barceloneta, Garrochales, Imbery, Manatí, Coto Norte.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 170 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.5 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 89,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 63,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 5.6× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.5 about 170 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.

For this area

No earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded within 50 km since our catalogue begins in 2016.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 4 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.8 12 km N of Garrochales, Puerto Rico · 13 km SW of this epicentre
  2. 5.5 64 km N of Tierras Nuevas Poniente, Puerto Rico · 42 km N of this epicentre
  3. 5.1 66 km N of Brenas, Puerto Rico · 47 km NNE of this epicentre
  4. 5.0 3 km N of Brenas, Puerto Rico · 24 km SE of this epicentre

Since 2016: the QuakeIndex catalogue (US, M1.5+), built from the USGS FDSN event service. Before 2016: USGS ComCat, M5+ from 1900. Distances are between epicentres. This is the record, not a forecast.

Where

Epicentre 18.6611, -66.4896. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Barceloneta Municipio, PR 22 km (14 mi) SSW earthquakes near Barceloneta Municipio
Manatí Municipio, PR 24 km (15 mi) S earthquakes near Manatí Municipio
Vega Baja Municipio, PR 25 km (15 mi) SSE earthquakes near Vega Baja Municipio
Vega Alta Municipio, PR 30 km (18 mi) SSE earthquakes near Vega Alta Municipio
Dorado Municipio, PR 32 km (20 mi) SE earthquakes near Dorado Municipio
Arecibo Municipio, PR 32 km (20 mi) SW earthquakes near Arecibo Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.5 17 km N of Camuy, Puerto Rico
  2. 2.8 4 km NE of San Juan, Puerto Rico
  3. 2.6 16 km N of Quebradillas, Puerto Rico
  4. 2.9 14 km NNE of Carrizales, Puerto Rico
  5. 3.0 11 km NE of Arecibo, Puerto Rico
  6. 3.2 15 km NNW of Camuy, Puerto Rico
  7. 2.9 44 km N of Brenas, Puerto Rico
  8. 2.6 1 km N of Candelaria Arenas, Puerto Rico
  9. 2.9 24 km NNE of Isabela, Puerto Rico
  10. 3.0 47 km N of Dorado, Puerto Rico
  11. 2.7 52 km N of Carrizales, Puerto Rico
  12. 3.2 54 km N of Carrizales, Puerto Rico
  13. 3.0 15 km NNE of Carrizales, Puerto Rico
  14. 2.6 12 km N of Garrochales, Puerto Rico
  15. 2.9 32 km NNW of Brenas, 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

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.