QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9md

Earthquake near Carolina, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Carolina in the 24 hours to 10:58 pm AST (02:58 UTC). The last one was M 4.1, 81 km (50 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 Carolina

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 2 km (1 mi) north of Carolina, PR, at 10:20 pm AST on 26 November 2018 (02:20 UTC), 96 km deep.

USGS: 2 km N of Carolina, Puerto Rico

in Carolina, PR

10:20 pm AST, Nov 26, 2018 · · 96 km deep · released about 21 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Carolina Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Carolina Municipio 1 kmLoíza Municipio 5 kmTrujillo Alto Municipio 9 kmCanóvanas Municipio 11 kmSan Juan Municipio 12 kmGurabo Municipio 14 kmRío Grande Municipio 17 kmGuaynabo Municipio 17 kmJuncos Municipio 20 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
10:20 pm AST on 26 November 2018 ()
Where
2 km (1 mi) north of Carolina, PR · earthquakes near Carolina
Magnitude
M 1.9 (md)
Depth
96 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Carolina Municipio, 1 km WSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2907 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 Carolina, 2 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.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Santa Barbara, Canovanas, Trujillo Alto, San Isidro, Loíza, Campo Rico.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 21 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 710,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 500,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 45× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 21 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. 5.1 3 km W of Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico · 24 km SW of this epicentre
  2. 5.0 3 km N of Brenas, Puerto Rico · 42 km WNW 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 18.3991, -65.9588. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Carolina Municipio, PR 1 km (1 mi) WSW earthquakes near Carolina Municipio
Loíza Municipio, PR 5 km (3 mi) NNE earthquakes near Loíza Municipio
Trujillo Alto Municipio, PR 9 km (5 mi) SW earthquakes near Trujillo Alto Municipio
Canóvanas Municipio, PR 11 km (7 mi) SE earthquakes near Canóvanas Municipio
San Juan Municipio, PR 12 km (7 mi) WNW earthquakes near San Juan Municipio
Gurabo Municipio, PR 14 km (9 mi) S earthquakes near Gurabo Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.6 23 km NNE of Luquillo, Puerto Rico
  2. 3.1 37 km NNE of Vieques, Puerto Rico
  3. 2.5 6 km ESE of San Juan, Puerto Rico
  4. 2.1 0 km SW of Toa Alta, Puerto Rico
  5. 2.6 24 km N of San Juan, Puerto Rico
  6. 2.9 13 km NNW of Brenas, Puerto Rico
  7. 2.1 37 km N of San Juan, Puerto Rico
  8. 1.9 6 km WNW of Palomas, Puerto Rico
  9. 1.5 5 km SSW of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
  10. 2.5 12 km N of Brenas, Puerto Rico
  11. 3.0 2 km ENE of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
  12. 1.9 4 km E of Barranquitas, Puerto Rico
  13. 2.8 1 km SSW of Levittown, Puerto Rico
  14. 2.5 3 km SE of Bayamón, Puerto Rico
  15. 1.7 1 km S of G. L. Garcia, 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.