QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9md

Earthquake near Arecibo, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Arecibo in the 24 hours to 10:59 pm AST (02:59 UTC). The last one was M 3.4, 49 km (31 mi) NW, at 9:00 pm AST on 27 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Arecibo

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 24 km (15 mi) north-northeast of Arecibo, PR, at 3:38 am AST on 18 April 2018 (07:38 UTC), 18 km deep.

USGS: 23 km NNE of Arecibo, Puerto Rico

69 km (43 mi) WNW of San Juan, PR · 26 km (16 mi) NNE of Arecibo, PR

3:38 am AST, Apr 18, 2018 · · 18 km deep · released about 25 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Arecibo Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Barceloneta Municipio 25 kmArecibo Municipio 27 kmHatillo Municipio 30 kmManatí Municipio 31 kmCamuy Municipio 34 kmFlorida Municipio 36 kmVega Baja Municipio 37 kmQuebradillas Municipio 37 kmVega Alta Municipio 43 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
3:38 am AST on 18 April 2018 ()
Where
24 km (15 mi) north-northeast of Arecibo, PR · earthquakes near Arecibo
Magnitude
M 1.9 (md)
Depth
18 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Barceloneta Municipio, 25 km SSE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3130 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 Arecibo, 24 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: Animas, Carrizales, Garrochales, Sabana Hoyos, Corcovado, Hatillo.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 25 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.0 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 600,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 420,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 38× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 25 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

The largest earthquake within 50 km since 2016 was M 4.8 on 2017-08-18 — about 19,000 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 8 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.4 61 km N of Hatillo, Puerto Rico · 44 km NNW of this epicentre
  2. 5.8 12 km N of Garrochales, Puerto Rico · 16 km SE of this epicentre
  3. 5.6 57 km N of Isabela, Puerto Rico · 47 km NW of this epicentre
  4. 5.5 64 km N of Tierras Nuevas Poniente, Puerto Rico · 45 km NNE of this epicentre
  5. 5.5 Puerto Rico region · 47 km NNW 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 18.6780, -66.6551. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Barceloneta Municipio, PR 25 km (16 mi) SSE earthquakes near Barceloneta Municipio
Arecibo Municipio, PR 27 km (17 mi) S earthquakes near Arecibo Municipio
Hatillo Municipio, PR 30 km (19 mi) SSW earthquakes near Hatillo Municipio
Manatí Municipio, PR 31 km (19 mi) SSE earthquakes near Manatí Municipio
Camuy Municipio, PR 34 km (21 mi) SW earthquakes near Camuy Municipio
Florida Municipio, PR 36 km (22 mi) SSE earthquakes near Florida Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.5 12 km NNE of Brenas, Puerto Rico
  2. 1.9 9 km NNW of Garrochales, Puerto Rico
  3. 2.8 2 km NW of Dorado, Puerto Rico
  4. 2.8 4 km N of Barceloneta, Puerto Rico
  5. 2.6 29 km N of Hatillo, Puerto Rico
  6. 2.5 4 km NNW of Arecibo, Puerto Rico
  7. 2.3 63 km N of Tierras Nuevas Poniente, Puerto Rico
  8. 1.6 20 km N of Hatillo, Puerto Rico
  9. 2.7 50 km N of Tierras Nuevas Poniente, Puerto Rico
  10. 2.1 56 km N of Tierras Nuevas Poniente, Puerto Rico
  11. 2.4 14 km NNW of Isabela, Puerto Rico
  12. 2.4 12 km N of Arecibo, Puerto Rico
  13. 2.2 19 km N of Arecibo, Puerto Rico
  14. 2.8 61 km N of Hatillo, Puerto Rico
  15. 2.6 27 km N of Arecibo, 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.