QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8md

Earthquake near Jayuya, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Jayuya in the 24 hours to 10:54 pm AST (02:54 UTC). The last one was M 3.3, 43 km (27 mi) SSE, at 8:40 am AST on 1 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Jayuya

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 6 km (4 mi) north-northwest of Jayuya, PR, at 1:52 pm AST on 31 December 2018 (17:52 UTC), 28 km deep.

USGS: 6 km NNW of Jayuya, Puerto Rico

61 km (38 mi) WSW of San Juan, PR · 24 km (15 mi) SSE of Arecibo, PR

1:52 pm AST, Dec 31, 2018 · · 28 km deep · released about 14 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Jayuya Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Jayuya Municipio 7 kmUtuado Municipio 8 kmCiales Municipio 12 kmFlorida Municipio 13 kmAdjuntas Municipio 17 kmArecibo Municipio 20 kmOrocovis Municipio 20 kmVillalba Municipio 22 kmMorovis 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
1:52 pm AST on 31 December 2018 ()
Where
6 km (4 mi) north-northwest of Jayuya, PR · earthquakes near Jayuya
Magnitude
M 1.8 (md)
Depth
28 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Jayuya Municipio, 7 km SSE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2872 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 Jayuya, 6 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: Utuado, Estancias de Florida, Florida, Cayuco, La Alianza, Adjuntas.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 14 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,100,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 760,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 68× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.8 about 14 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 · 34 km N of this epicentre
  2. 5.8 4 km E of Moca, Puerto Rico · 50 km WNW of this epicentre
  3. 5.0 3 km N of Brenas, Puerto Rico · 40 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 18.2651, -66.6228. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Jayuya Municipio, PR 7 km (4 mi) SSE earthquakes near Jayuya Municipio
Utuado Municipio, PR 8 km (5 mi) W earthquakes near Utuado Municipio
Ciales Municipio, PR 12 km (7 mi) ENE earthquakes near Ciales Municipio
Florida Municipio, PR 13 km (8 mi) NNE earthquakes near Florida Municipio
Adjuntas Municipio, PR 17 km (11 mi) WSW earthquakes near Adjuntas Municipio
Arecibo Municipio, PR 20 km (12 mi) NNW earthquakes near Arecibo 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. 1.5 1 km NE of Yauco, Puerto Rico
  2. 1.6 7 km SSW of Estancias de Florida, Puerto Rico
  3. 2.6 3 km N of Cidra, Puerto Rico
  4. 2.7 5 km S of Jayuya, Puerto Rico
  5. 2.0 4 km S of Guánica, Puerto Rico
  6. 1.7 3 km SSE of Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico
  7. 1.8 4 km SE of Indios, Puerto Rico
  8. 2.1 1 km S of Guayanilla, Puerto Rico
  9. 2.1 0 km SW of Toa Alta, Puerto Rico
  10. 1.9 11 km ESE of Maricao, Puerto Rico
  11. 1.5 1 km SSW of Liborio Negron Torres, Puerto Rico
  12. 1.8 3 km W of Rafael Capo, Puerto Rico
  13. 2.1 2 km NE of San Germán, Puerto Rico
  14. 2.0 3 km SW of Adjuntas, Puerto Rico
  15. 2.2 4 km ENE of Isabela, 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.