QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3md

Earthquake near Potala Pastillo, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Potala Pastillo in the 24 hours to 4:42 pm AST (20:42 UTC). The last one was M 2.2, 6 km (4 mi) NW, at 10:09 am AST on 7 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Potala Pastillo

This page: a magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 12 km (8 mi) south of Potala Pastillo, PR, at 6:34 pm AST on 4 May 2017 (22:34 UTC), 29 km deep.

USGS: 12 km S of Potala Pastillo, Puerto Rico

19 km (12 mi) SE of Ponce, PR

6:34 pm AST, May 4, 2017 · · 29 km deep · released about 72 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Potala Pastillo Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Juana Díaz Municipio 13 kmSanta Isabel Municipio 14 kmPonce Municipio 18 kmSalinas Municipio 27 kmVillalba Municipio 28 kmCoamo Municipio 29 kmPeñuelas Municipio 29 kmGuayanilla Municipio 35 kmAibonito Municipio 37 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
6:34 pm AST on 4 May 2017 ()
Where
12 km (8 mi) south of Potala Pastillo, PR · earthquakes near Potala Pastillo
Magnitude
M 2.3 (md)
Depth
29 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Juana Díaz Municipio, 13 km N
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3476 days ago

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

At this magnitude and depth it was probably too small to be felt, even directly above it. In Potala Pastillo, 12 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: Playita Cortada, Santa Isabel, Capitanejo, Aguilita, Las Ollas, Jauca.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 72 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.3 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 210,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 150,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 13× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 72 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 since 1900 lists no earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km.

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 17.8793, -66.4991. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Juana Díaz Municipio, PR 13 km (8 mi) N earthquakes near Juana Díaz Municipio
Santa Isabel Municipio, PR 14 km (9 mi) NE earthquakes near Santa Isabel Municipio
Ponce Municipio, PR 18 km (11 mi) NW earthquakes near Ponce Municipio
Salinas Municipio, PR 27 km (17 mi) ENE earthquakes near Salinas Municipio
Villalba Municipio, PR 28 km (17 mi) N earthquakes near Villalba Municipio
Coamo Municipio, PR 29 km (18 mi) NNE earthquakes near Coamo 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. 2.1 4 km SSE of Cayey, Puerto Rico
  2. 2.1 11 km S of Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico
  3. 2.6 13 km S of Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico
  4. 2.2 17 km S of Guánica, Puerto Rico
  5. 2.1 9 km SSE of Tallaboa, Puerto Rico
  6. 2.5 10 km WSW of Adjuntas, Puerto Rico
  7. 1.7 12 km S of Guánica, Puerto Rico
  8. 2.1 19 km S of Tallaboa, Puerto Rico
  9. 2.1 9 km ESE of Adjuntas, Puerto Rico
  10. 2.2 4 km S of Magas Arriba, Puerto Rico
  11. 2.1 9 km SSW of Guánica, Puerto Rico
  12. 1.6 6 km WNW of Palomas, Puerto Rico
  13. 1.9 2 km NW of Aibonito, Puerto Rico
  14. 2.5 3 km E of La Plena, Puerto Rico
  15. 2.8 13 km S of Salinas, 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.