QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.2md

Earthquake near Magas Arriba, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Magas Arriba in the 24 hours to 12:59 pm AST (16:59 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 2 km (2 mi) W, at 4:39 pm AST on 9 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Magas Arriba

This page: a magnitude 2.2 earthquake was recorded in Magas Arriba, PR, at 6:38 pm AST on 20 August 2017 (22:38 UTC), 13 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 0 km N of Magas Arriba, Puerto Rico

16 km (10 mi) W of Ponce, PR

6:38 pm AST, Aug 20, 2017 · · 13 km deep · released about 64 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Magas Arriba Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Guayanilla Municipio 4 kmPeñuelas Municipio 4 kmYauco Municipio 12 kmPonce Municipio 17 kmAdjuntas Municipio 18 kmGuánica Municipio 18 kmSabana Grande Municipio 20 kmMaricao Municipio 25 kmJayuya Municipio 29 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
6:38 pm AST on 20 August 2017 ()
Where
in Magas Arriba, PR · earthquakes near Magas Arriba
Magnitude
M 2.2 (md)
Depth
13 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Guayanilla Municipio, 4 km WSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3277 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 13 km (8 mi) from the epicentre. 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.

Likely felt in: Magas Arriba in town, intensity II · Guayanilla 2 km, intensity II · Tallaboa 6 km, intensity II · Tallaboa Alta 8 km, intensity II · Yauco 9 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 64 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.2 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 230,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 170,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 15× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.2 about 64 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 18.0203, -66.7690. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Guayanilla Municipio, PR 4 km (2 mi) WSW earthquakes near Guayanilla Municipio
Peñuelas Municipio, PR 4 km (3 mi) E earthquakes near Peñuelas Municipio
Yauco Municipio, PR 12 km (7 mi) NW earthquakes near Yauco Municipio
Ponce Municipio, PR 17 km (11 mi) E earthquakes near Ponce Municipio
Adjuntas Municipio, PR 18 km (11 mi) N earthquakes near Adjuntas Municipio
Guánica Municipio, PR 18 km (11 mi) WSW earthquakes near Guánica Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 7 km W of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  2. 2.9 4 km WSW of Las Marías, Puerto Rico
  3. 2.1 7 km SE of Maricao, Puerto Rico
  4. 1.7 10 km ESE of Maricao, Puerto Rico
  5. 1.8 3 km NW of Fuig, Puerto Rico
  6. 2.0 4 km W of Palmarejo, Puerto Rico
  7. 2.1 2 km SE of Palmarejo, Puerto Rico
  8. 2.3 1 km ESE of Río Cañas Abajo, Puerto Rico
  9. 2.3 12 km WNW of Adjuntas, Puerto Rico
  10. 2.6 4 km ENE of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  11. 1.9 4 km ESE of San Germán, Puerto Rico
  12. 2.2 3 km NW of Guayabal, Puerto Rico
  13. 2.1 24 km S of Tallaboa, Puerto Rico
  14. 1.7 11 km SSW of Potala Pastillo, Puerto Rico
  15. 3.3 1 km SW of San Sebastián, 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.