QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9md

Earthquake near Utuado, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Utuado in the 24 hours to 1:22 am AST (05:22 UTC). The last one was M 3.1, 40 km (25 mi) SSW, at 3:58 pm AST on 31 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Utuado

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 8 km (5 mi) northeast of Utuado, PR, at 8:00 am AST on 24 December 2018 (12:00 UTC), 20 km deep.

USGS: 7 km NE of Utuado, Puerto Rico

62 km (39 mi) W of San Juan, PR · 19 km (12 mi) SSE of Arecibo, PR

8:00 am AST, Dec 24, 2018 · · 20 km deep · released about 20 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Utuado Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Utuado Municipio 7 kmFlorida Municipio 11 kmJayuya Municipio 12 kmCiales Municipio 13 kmArecibo Municipio 15 kmAdjuntas Municipio 18 kmBarceloneta Municipio 20 kmManatí Municipio 22 kmHatillo Municipio 22 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
8:00 am AST on 24 December 2018 ()
Where
8 km (5 mi) northeast of Utuado, PR · earthquakes near Utuado
Magnitude
M 1.9 (md)
Depth
20 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Utuado Municipio, 7 km WSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2880 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 Utuado, 8 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: Estancias de Florida, Cayuco, Florida, Jayuya, La Alianza, Bajadero.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 20 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 5.8 760,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 540,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 48× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 20 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 · 30 km NNE of this epicentre
  2. 5.8 4 km E of Moca, Puerto Rico · 46 km WNW of this epicentre
  3. 5.0 3 km N of Brenas, Puerto Rico · 39 km NE 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 18.3043, -66.6418. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Utuado Municipio, PR 7 km (5 mi) WSW earthquakes near Utuado Municipio
Florida Municipio, PR 11 km (7 mi) NE earthquakes near Florida Municipio
Jayuya Municipio, PR 12 km (7 mi) SSE earthquakes near Jayuya Municipio
Ciales Municipio, PR 13 km (8 mi) E earthquakes near Ciales Municipio
Arecibo Municipio, PR 15 km (9 mi) NNW earthquakes near Arecibo Municipio
Adjuntas Municipio, PR 18 km (11 mi) SW earthquakes near Adjuntas Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 5 km W of Jayuya, Puerto Rico
  2. 2.0 6 km S of Tallaboa, Puerto Rico
  3. 1.9 4 km E of Barranquitas, Puerto Rico
  4. 2.0 3 km SW of Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico
  5. 1.9 1 km W of Las Ollas, Puerto Rico
  6. 1.9 7 km WSW of Adjuntas, Puerto Rico
  7. 2.2 5 km WSW of Liborio Negron Torres, Puerto Rico
  8. 1.7 5 km N of Yauco, Puerto Rico
  9. 1.8 4 km SW of Tallaboa, Puerto Rico
  10. 1.7 4 km NNE of Yauco, Puerto Rico
  11. 2.5 5 km ENE of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
  12. 1.8 6 km NNW of Jayuya, Puerto Rico
  13. 2.8 0 km NE of La Luisa, Puerto Rico
  14. 2.5 19 km NNW of Garrochales, Puerto Rico
  15. 2.3 1 km S 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.