QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.8md

Earthquake near Suárez, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Suárez in the 24 hours to 11:30 am AST (15:30 UTC). The last one was M 4.1, 76 km (47 mi) SE, at 5:44 am AST on 28 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 5 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Suárez

This page: a magnitude 2.8 earthquake was recorded 15 km (10 mi) north-northeast of Suárez, PR, at 2:29 pm AST on 28 April 2018 (18:29 UTC), 39 km deep.

USGS: 15 km NNE of Suárez, Puerto Rico

31 km (19 mi) NE of San Juan, PR · 24 km (15 mi) NE of Carolina, PR

2:29 pm AST, Apr 28, 2018 · · 39 km deep · released about 450 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Suárez Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Loíza Municipio 18 kmRío Grande Municipio 21 kmCarolina Municipio 24 kmLuquillo Municipio 25 kmCanóvanas Municipio 27 kmSan Juan Municipio 30 kmFajardo Municipio 32 kmTrujillo Alto Municipio 32 kmGurabo Municipio 37 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
2:29 pm AST on 28 April 2018 ()
Where
15 km (10 mi) north-northeast of Suárez, PR · earthquakes near Suárez
Magnitude
M 2.8 (md)
Depth
39 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Loíza Municipio, 18 km SW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3119 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 Suárez, 15 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: Vieques, Loíza, San Isidro, Río Grande, La Dolores, Hato Candal.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 450 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 34,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 24,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 2.1× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.8 about 450 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 one earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.1 3 km W of Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico · 47 km SW 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 18.5663, -65.8230. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Loíza Municipio, PR 18 km (11 mi) SW earthquakes near Loíza Municipio
Río Grande Municipio, PR 21 km (13 mi) S earthquakes near Río Grande Municipio
Carolina Municipio, PR 24 km (15 mi) SW earthquakes near Carolina Municipio
Luquillo Municipio, PR 25 km (16 mi) SSE earthquakes near Luquillo Municipio
Canóvanas Municipio, PR 27 km (17 mi) SSW earthquakes near Canóvanas Municipio
San Juan Municipio, PR 30 km (19 mi) WSW earthquakes near San Juan Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.7 24 km NNE of Vieques, Puerto Rico
  2. 2.6 3 km SSE of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
  3. 2.6 41 km NNE of Luquillo, Puerto Rico
  4. 2.8 50 km N of San Juan, Puerto Rico
  5. 2.0 1 km NE of Sabana Seca, Puerto Rico
  6. 2.9 5 km SE of Cataño, Puerto Rico
  7. 2.1 7 km E of Naranjito, Puerto Rico
  8. 2.3 2 km SW of Bajandas, Puerto Rico
  9. 2.7 2 km E of La Fermina, Puerto Rico
  10. 1.8 4 km S of Caguas, Puerto Rico
  11. 2.3 3 km ENE of Bayamón, Puerto Rico
  12. 2.9 8 km NNW of Dorado, Puerto Rico
  13. 2.8 31 km N of San Juan, Puerto Rico
  14. 1.7 1 km SE of Bayamón, Puerto Rico
  15. 2.8 4 km SE of Cataño, 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.