QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near La Parguera, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in La Parguera in the 24 hours to 10:16 am AST (14:16 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 9 km (5 mi) WNW, at 11:57 pm AST on 8 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near La Parguera

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 16 km (10 mi) south-southwest of La Parguera, PR, at 10:44 am AST on 22 February 2018 (14:44 UTC), 13 km deep.

USGS: 16 km SSW of La Parguera, Puerto Rico

41 km (26 mi) S of Mayagüez, PR · 125 km (78 mi) WSW of San Juan, PR

10:44 am AST, Feb 22, 2018 · · 13 km deep · released about 37 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near La Parguera Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lajas Municipio 17 kmCabo Rojo Municipio 21 kmGuánica Municipio 21 kmSan Germán Municipio 31 kmSabana Grande Municipio 31 kmHormigueros Municipio 34 kmGuayanilla Municipio 36 kmYauco Municipio 37 kmMaricao Municipio 41 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
10:44 am AST on 22 February 2018 ()
Where
16 km (10 mi) south-southwest of La Parguera, PR · earthquakes near La Parguera
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
13 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Lajas Municipio, 17 km NNE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3184 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 10 km (6 mi) from the epicentre. In La Parguera, 16 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: Pole Ojea, Palmarejo, Boquerón, Guánica, Lajas, Fuig.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 37 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 5.8 410,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 290,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 26× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 37 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 2 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.2 19 km SW of Stella, Puerto Rico · 50 km NW of this epicentre
  2. 5.1 21 km SW of Stella, Puerto Rico · 49 km NW 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 17.8325, -67.0830. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lajas Municipio, PR 17 km (10 mi) NNE earthquakes near Lajas Municipio
Cabo Rojo Municipio, PR 21 km (13 mi) NNW earthquakes near Cabo Rojo Municipio
Guánica Municipio, PR 21 km (13 mi) NE earthquakes near Guánica Municipio
San Germán Municipio, PR 31 km (19 mi) N earthquakes near San Germán Municipio
Sabana Grande Municipio, PR 31 km (20 mi) NNE earthquakes near Sabana Grande Municipio
Hormigueros Municipio, PR 34 km (21 mi) N earthquakes near Hormigueros Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.1 4 km ESE of Boquerón, Puerto Rico
  2. 1.9 4 km SSE of Tallaboa, Puerto Rico
  3. 2.0 6 km NW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  4. 2.5 3 km NNW of Lluveras, Puerto Rico
  5. 1.8 3 km WSW of Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico
  6. 2.1 24 km WNW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  7. 2.0 7 km SSW of Indios, Puerto Rico
  8. 2.5 8 km S of Pole Ojea, Puerto Rico
  9. 1.7 6 km E of Hormigueros, Puerto Rico
  10. 1.9 5 km W of Hormigueros, Puerto Rico
  11. 2.0 9 km S of Pole Ojea, Puerto Rico
  12. 2.2 2 km SSW of Magas Arriba, Puerto Rico
  13. 1.9 4 km NNW of Lluveras, Puerto Rico
  14. 2.1 15 km WNW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  15. 1.7 7 km WSW 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.