QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.7md

Earthquake near Mayagüez, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Mayagüez in the 24 hours to 5:18 pm AST (21:18 UTC). The last one was M 2.9, 25 km (15 mi) SSE, at 3:17 am AST on 8 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Mayagüez

This page: a magnitude 1.7 earthquake was recorded 36 km (22 mi) south of Mayagüez, PR, at 8:51 pm AST on 2 October 2018 (00:51 UTC), 6.0 km deep.

USGS: Puerto Rico region

36 km (22 mi) S of Mayagüez, PR · 129 km (80 mi) WSW of San Juan, PR

8:51 pm AST, Oct 2, 2018 · · 6.0 km deep · released about 11 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Mayagüez Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Cabo Rojo Municipio 13 kmLajas Municipio 16 kmGuánica Municipio 26 kmSan Germán Municipio 28 kmHormigueros Municipio 29 kmSabana Grande Municipio 32 kmYauco Municipio 39 kmMaricao Municipio 40 kmGuayanilla Municipio 40 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
8:51 pm AST on 2 October 2018 ()
Where
36 km (22 mi) south of Mayagüez, PR · earthquakes near Mayagüez
Magnitude
M 1.7 (md)
Depth
6.0 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Cabo Rojo Municipio, 13 km NNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2962 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 11 km (7 mi) from the epicentre. In Mayagüez, 36 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.

Likely felt in: Pole Ojea 11 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 11 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,400,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 970,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 86× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.7 about 11 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.

Where

Epicentre 17.8795, -67.1538. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Cabo Rojo Municipio, PR 13 km (8 mi) NNW earthquakes near Cabo Rojo Municipio
Lajas Municipio, PR 16 km (10 mi) NE earthquakes near Lajas Municipio
Guánica Municipio, PR 26 km (16 mi) ENE earthquakes near Guánica Municipio
San Germán Municipio, PR 28 km (18 mi) NNE earthquakes near San Germán Municipio
Hormigueros Municipio, PR 29 km (18 mi) N earthquakes near Hormigueros Municipio
Sabana Grande Municipio, PR 32 km (20 mi) NE earthquakes near Sabana Grande Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.1 7 km NNW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  2. 2.2 8 km NW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  3. 2.3 9 km WNW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  4. 1.9 8 km NW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  5. 2.4 10 km NW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  6. 2.9 9 km NW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  7. 1.7 7 km ENE of Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico
  8. 2.2 5 km WNW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  9. 2.2 8 km WNW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  10. 1.8 7 km WNW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  11. 2.0 7 km NW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  12. 2.8 10 km NW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  13. 1.7 9 km NW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  14. 1.9 9 km NW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  15. 2.8 10 km NW of Puerto Real, 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

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