QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.9md

Earthquake near H. Rivera Colon, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in H. Rivera Colon in the 24 hours to 8:35 am AST (12:35 UTC). The last one was M 4.8, 84 km (52 mi) WSW, at 9:19 am AST on 18 September 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 86 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near H. Rivera Colon

This page: a magnitude 2.9 earthquake was recorded 3 km (2 mi) east-southeast of H. Rivera Colon, PR, at 5:27 am AST on 12 December 2018 (09:27 UTC), 60 km deep.

USGS: 2 km ESE of H. Rivera Colon, Puerto Rico

10 km (6 mi) WSW of Bayamón, PR

5:27 am AST, Dec 12, 2018 · · 60 km deep · released about 570 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near H. Rivera Colon Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Toa Alta Municipio 3 kmNaranjito Municipio 5 kmBayamón Municipio 9 kmCorozal Municipio 9 kmComerío Municipio 13 kmGuaynabo Municipio 14 kmVega Alta Municipio 15 kmToa Baja Municipio 15 kmAguas Buenas Municipio 15 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
5:27 am AST on 12 December 2018 ()
Where
3 km (2 mi) east-southeast of H. Rivera Colon, PR · earthquakes near H. Rivera Colon
Magnitude
M 2.9 (md)
Depth
60 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Toa Alta Municipio, 3 km N
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2893 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 H. Rivera Colon, 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: Galateo, Naranjito, Pájaros, Toa Alta, Río Lajas, San José.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 570 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 27,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 19,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 1.7× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.9 about 570 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 · 42 km NW of this epicentre
  2. 5.1 3 km W of Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico · 15 km SE of this epicentre
  3. 5.0 3 km N of Brenas, Puerto Rico · 21 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 18.3356, -66.2486. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Toa Alta Municipio, PR 3 km (2 mi) N earthquakes near Toa Alta Municipio
Naranjito Municipio, PR 5 km (3 mi) S earthquakes near Naranjito Municipio
Bayamón Municipio, PR 9 km (5 mi) E earthquakes near Bayamón Municipio
Corozal Municipio, PR 9 km (6 mi) WSW earthquakes near Corozal Municipio
Comerío Municipio, PR 13 km (8 mi) SSE earthquakes near Comerío Municipio
Guaynabo Municipio, PR 14 km (9 mi) E earthquakes near Guaynabo Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.8 1 km NNW of Sumidero, Puerto Rico
  2. 2.1 11 km N of Loíza, Puerto Rico
  3. 1.9 2 km SW of Las Ollas, Puerto Rico
  4. 2.6 14 km N of Brenas, Puerto Rico
  5. 1.8 1 km NW of H. Rivera Colon, Puerto Rico
  6. 1.6 3 km SE of Santa Isabel, 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.