QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.8md

Earthquake near Arecibo, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Arecibo in the 24 hours to 5:54 pm AST (21:54 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 2.8 earthquake was recorded 3 km (2 mi) north of Arecibo, PR, at 7:44 pm AST on 18 June 2018 (23:44 UTC), 84 km deep.

USGS: 2 km N of Arecibo, Puerto Rico

5 km (3 mi) NNE of Arecibo, PR · 69 km (43 mi) W of San Juan, PR

7:44 pm AST, Jun 18, 2018 · · 84 km deep · released about 480 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Arecibo Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Arecibo Municipio 8 kmHatillo Municipio 11 kmBarceloneta Municipio 16 kmCamuy Municipio 17 kmFlorida Municipio 21 kmQuebradillas Municipio 23 kmManatí Municipio 24 kmUtuado Municipio 25 kmLares Municipio 30 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
7:44 pm AST on 18 June 2018 ()
Where
3 km (2 mi) north of Arecibo, PR · earthquakes near Arecibo
Magnitude
M 2.8 (md)
Depth
84 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Arecibo Municipio, 8 km SSE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2975 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 Arecibo, 3 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: Corcovado, Bajadero, Carrizales, Animas, Rafael Gonzalez, Hatillo.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 480 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 32,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 22,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 2× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.8 about 480 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 · 17 km ENE of this epicentre
  2. 5.8 4 km E of Moca, Puerto Rico · 39 km WSW of this epicentre
  3. 5.0 3 km N of Brenas, Puerto Rico · 39 km E 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 18.4983, -66.7110. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Arecibo Municipio, PR 8 km (5 mi) SSE earthquakes near Arecibo Municipio
Hatillo Municipio, PR 11 km (7 mi) SW earthquakes near Hatillo Municipio
Barceloneta Municipio, PR 16 km (10 mi) E earthquakes near Barceloneta Municipio
Camuy Municipio, PR 17 km (11 mi) WSW earthquakes near Camuy Municipio
Florida Municipio, PR 21 km (13 mi) SE earthquakes near Florida Municipio
Quebradillas Municipio, PR 23 km (14 mi) W earthquakes near Quebradillas Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 8 km ENE of Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico
  2. 2.9 8 km NNW of Dorado, Puerto Rico
  3. 1.9 6 km W of Las Marías, Puerto Rico
  4. 2.4 4 km NNE of Orocovis, Puerto Rico
  5. 2.3 20 km N of Garrochales, Puerto Rico
  6. 2.2 6 km NNE of Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico
  7. 2.1 11 km SSE of Lares, Puerto Rico
  8. 2.0 9 km N of Animas, Puerto Rico
  9. 2.1 4 km NNE of Yauco, Puerto Rico
  10. 2.2 1 km W of Rafael Gonzalez, Puerto Rico
  11. 2.1 3 km SW of Maricao, Puerto Rico
  12. 2.9 36 km N of Tierras Nuevas Poniente, Puerto Rico
  13. 2.4 18 km N of San Antonio, Puerto Rico
  14. 2.7 6 km E of Espino, Puerto Rico
  15. 2.3 5 km WNW of Las Marías, 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.