QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 3.0md

Earthquake near Ciales, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Ciales in the 24 hours to 12:50 pm AST (16:50 UTC). The last one was M 4.8, 67 km (42 mi) SW, at 9:19 am AST on 18 September 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 86 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Ciales

This page: a magnitude 3.0 earthquake was recorded 5 km (3 mi) west of Ciales, PR, at 5:52 pm AST on 15 February 2018 (21:52 UTC), 116 km deep.

USGS: 4 km W of Ciales, Puerto Rico

48 km (30 mi) W of San Juan, PR · 27 km (17 mi) ESE of Arecibo, PR

5:52 pm AST, Feb 15, 2018 · · 116 km deep · released about 1,100 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Ciales Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Ciales Municipio 4 kmFlorida Municipio 7 kmMorovis Municipio 10 kmManatí Municipio 13 kmOrocovis Municipio 15 kmJayuya Municipio 15 kmBarceloneta Municipio 16 kmVega Baja Municipio 19 kmCorozal Municipio 20 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
5:52 pm AST on 15 February 2018 ()
Where
5 km (3 mi) west of Ciales, PR · earthquakes near Ciales
Magnitude
M 3.0 (md)
Depth
116 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Ciales Municipio, 4 km S
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3102 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 Ciales, 5 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: Florida, Estancias de Florida, Barahona, Franquez, Manatí, Morovis.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 1,100 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 4.0 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 320,000× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 14,000× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 10,000× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 3.0 about 1,100 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 3 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.8 12 km N of Garrochales, Puerto Rico · 26 km NNW of this epicentre
  2. 5.1 3 km W of Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico · 41 km E of this epicentre
  3. 5.0 3 km N of Brenas, Puerto Rico · 26 km NE 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 18.3300, -66.5151. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Ciales Municipio, PR 4 km (2 mi) S earthquakes near Ciales Municipio
Florida Municipio, PR 7 km (4 mi) NW earthquakes near Florida Municipio
Morovis Municipio, PR 10 km (6 mi) E earthquakes near Morovis Municipio
Manatí Municipio, PR 13 km (8 mi) N earthquakes near Manatí Municipio
Orocovis Municipio, PR 15 km (9 mi) SSE earthquakes near Orocovis Municipio
Jayuya Municipio, PR 15 km (9 mi) SSW earthquakes near Jayuya Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.7 22 km N of Tierras Nuevas Poniente, Puerto Rico
  2. 2.5 17 km N of Carrizales, Puerto Rico
  3. 1.9 4 km SSE of Tallaboa, Puerto Rico
  4. 2.8 4 km NW of Bairoa, Puerto Rico
  5. 2.5 9 km N of Dorado, Puerto Rico
  6. 2.1 6 km NW of Palomas, Puerto Rico
  7. 2.8 1 km N of Bayamón, Puerto Rico
  8. 2.4 8 km ESE of Jayuya, Puerto Rico
  9. 2.2 2 km SSW of Magas Arriba, Puerto Rico
  10. 2.7 Puerto Rico region
  11. 3.0 1 km N of Ingenio, Puerto Rico
  12. 3.3 1 km SE of Sumidero, Puerto Rico
  13. 2.9 4 km SE of Cataño, Puerto Rico
  14. 2.6 19 km NNE of Arecibo, Puerto Rico
  15. 1.9 5 km SE of Tallaboa, 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.