QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.6md

Earthquake near Maricao, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Maricao in the 24 hours to 12:54 am AST (04:54 UTC). The last one was M 3.0, 33 km (20 mi) SSE, at 3:45 am AST on 8 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Maricao

This page: a magnitude 1.6 earthquake was recorded 6 km (4 mi) south-southwest of Maricao, PR, at 9:44 pm AST on 28 July 2017 (01:44 UTC), 28 km deep.

USGS: 6 km SSW of Maricao, Puerto Rico

17 km (11 mi) ESE of Mayagüez, PR · 104 km (64 mi) WSW of San Juan, PR

9:44 pm AST, Jul 28, 2017 · · 28 km deep · released about 8.1 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Maricao Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N San Germán Municipio 4 kmSabana Grande Municipio 7 kmMaricao Municipio 9 kmLas Marías Municipio 11 kmHormigueros Municipio 12 kmYauco Municipio 16 kmLajas Municipio 17 kmLares Municipio 22 kmGuánica Municipio 22 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
9:44 pm AST on 28 July 2017 ()
Where
6 km (4 mi) south-southwest of Maricao, PR · earthquakes near Maricao
Magnitude
M 1.6 (md)
Depth
28 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
San Germán Municipio, 4 km WSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3393 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 Maricao, 6 km away, the estimate is intensity I (not felt). 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: San Germán, Sabana Grande, Sabana Eneas, Lajas, Liborio Negron Torres, Monte Grande.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 8.1 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,900,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,300,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 120× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.6 about 8.1 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. 6.3 6 km WNW of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico · 41 km NNW of this epicentre
  2. 5.8 4 km E of Moca, Puerto Rico · 31 km NNW of this epicentre
  3. 5.2 19 km SW of Stella, Puerto Rico · 40 km W of this epicentre
  4. 5.1 21 km SW of Stella, Puerto Rico · 39 km W 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 18.1281, -67.0006. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
San Germán Municipio, PR 4 km (3 mi) WSW earthquakes near San Germán Municipio
Sabana Grande Municipio, PR 7 km (5 mi) SE earthquakes near Sabana Grande Municipio
Maricao Municipio, PR 9 km (5 mi) NE earthquakes near Maricao Municipio
Las Marías Municipio, PR 11 km (7 mi) NNE earthquakes near Las Marías Municipio
Hormigueros Municipio, PR 12 km (8 mi) W earthquakes near Hormigueros Municipio
Yauco Municipio, PR 16 km (10 mi) ESE earthquakes near Yauco Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.1 4 km SW of Las Marías, Puerto Rico
  2. 2.6 4 km ENE of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
  3. 2.1 9 km W of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  4. 2.4 7 km W of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
  5. 2.1 2 km SW of Liborio Negron Torres, Puerto Rico
  6. 2.1 4 km NNW of Las Marías, Puerto Rico
  7. 2.3 1 km NW of Maria Antonia, Puerto Rico
  8. 2.2 4 km W of Las Marías, Puerto Rico
  9. 1.7 1 km SSW of Liborio Negron Torres, Puerto Rico
  10. 2.5 2 km SSW of Palmarejo, Puerto Rico
  11. 2.0 3 km WNW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  12. 2.1 5 km SSW of Maricao, Puerto Rico
  13. 2.0 4 km SE of Pole Ojea, Puerto Rico
  14. 2.4 Puerto Rico region
  15. 2.1 5 km SSW of La Parguera, 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.