QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Ponce, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Ponce in the 24 hours to 5:03 pm AST (21:03 UTC). The last one was M 3.0, 26 km (16 mi) WSW, at 3:45 am AST on 8 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Ponce

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 30 km (19 mi) west-southwest of Ponce, PR, at 10:41 am AST on 27 May 2017 (14:41 UTC), 10 km deep.

USGS: Puerto Rico region

30 km (19 mi) WSW of Ponce, PR

10:41 am AST, May 27, 2017 · · 10 km deep · released about 47 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Ponce Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Guánica Municipio 6 kmGuayanilla Municipio 15 kmLajas Municipio 18 kmYauco Municipio 21 kmSabana Grande Municipio 21 kmPeñuelas Municipio 22 kmSan Germán Municipio 28 kmMaricao Municipio 31 kmPonce Municipio 32 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
10:41 am AST on 27 May 2017 ()
Where
30 km (19 mi) west-southwest of Ponce, PR · earthquakes near Ponce
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
10 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Guánica Municipio, 6 km NW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3454 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 14 km (9 mi) from the epicentre. In Ponce, 30 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: Guánica, Maria Antonia, Fuig, Indios, Palomas, Yauco.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 47 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 320,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 230,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 20× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 47 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 17.9016, -66.8861. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Guánica Municipio, PR 6 km (4 mi) NW earthquakes near Guánica Municipio
Guayanilla Municipio, PR 15 km (9 mi) NE earthquakes near Guayanilla Municipio
Lajas Municipio, PR 18 km (11 mi) WNW earthquakes near Lajas Municipio
Yauco Municipio, PR 21 km (13 mi) N earthquakes near Yauco Municipio
Sabana Grande Municipio, PR 21 km (13 mi) NNW earthquakes near Sabana Grande Municipio
Peñuelas Municipio, PR 22 km (14 mi) NE earthquakes near Peñuelas Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.4 9 km S of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  2. 1.9 11 km SSW of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  3. 3.0 5 km SW of Las Marías, Puerto Rico
  4. 2.1 19 km S of Tallaboa, Puerto Rico
  5. 1.7 7 km ESE of Las Marías, Puerto Rico
  6. 1.5 3 km ESE of Boquerón, Puerto Rico
  7. 2.1 9 km ESE of Adjuntas, Puerto Rico
  8. 2.2 4 km S of Magas Arriba, Puerto Rico
  9. 2.1 9 km SSW of Guánica, Puerto Rico
  10. 1.9 12 km SSW of Guánica, Puerto Rico
  11. 2.3 1 km E of Pole Ojea, Puerto Rico
  12. 1.7 3 km SW of Las Marías, Puerto Rico
  13. 2.0 7 km ESE of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  14. 1.9 21 km S of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  15. 1.6 2 km S of Cabo Rojo, 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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