QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 4.6ml

Earthquake near Jobos, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Jobos in the 24 hours to 4:29 am AST (08:29 UTC). The last one was M 3.0, 28 km (18 mi) WSW, at 7:09 pm AST on 5 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Jobos

This page: a magnitude 4.6 earthquake was recorded 3 km (2 mi) south-southwest of Jobos, PR, at 9:08 am AST on 12 March 2019 (13:08 UTC), 13 km deep. 385 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 3 km SSW of Jobos, Puerto Rico

54 km (34 mi) SSW of San Juan, PR · 37 km (23 mi) SSW of Caguas, PR

9:08 am AST, Mar 12, 2019 · · 13 km deep · released about 120 tons of TNT

Every earthquake near Jobos Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Guayama Municipio 7 kmSalinas Municipio 10 kmArroyo Municipio 15 kmCayey Municipio 20 kmPatillas Municipio 22 kmSanta Isabel Municipio 22 kmAibonito Municipio 24 kmCoamo Municipio 27 kmCidra Municipio 27 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
9:08 am AST on 12 March 2019 ()
Where
3 km (2 mi) south-southwest of Jobos, PR · earthquakes near Jobos
Magnitude
M 4.6 (ml)
Depth
13 km below the surface
Felt
385 reports · strongest reported intensity V
Measured shaking
intensity V (ShakeMap)
USGS impact alert
green
Nearest
Guayama Municipio, 7 km NE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2236 days ago

This was a light earthquake. It is usually felt clearly nearby and can rattle windows and dishes, but damage is uncommon.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 148 km (92 mi) from the epicentre. In Jobos, 3 km away, the estimate is intensity IV (light). 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: Guayama 9 km, intensity IV · Cayey 20 km, intensity IV · Santa Isabel 24 km, intensity III · Coamo 25 km, intensity III · Jagual 32 km, intensity III · Emajagua 32 km, intensity III · Sumidero 33 km, intensity III · Río Cañas Abajo 33 km, intensity III. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 120 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 5.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 1,400× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 63× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 45× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 4.6 about 120 tons of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 250× more

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

Tied for the largest within 50 km (31 mi) since 2016, with M 4.6 on 2016-12-05.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists one earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.1 3 km W of Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico · 37 km N 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 17.9300, -66.1798. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Guayama Municipio, PR 7 km (4 mi) NE earthquakes near Guayama Municipio
Salinas Municipio, PR 10 km (6 mi) WNW earthquakes near Salinas Municipio
Arroyo Municipio, PR 15 km (10 mi) ENE earthquakes near Arroyo Municipio
Cayey Municipio, PR 20 km (12 mi) N earthquakes near Cayey Municipio
Patillas Municipio, PR 22 km (14 mi) ENE earthquakes near Patillas Municipio
Santa Isabel Municipio, PR 22 km (14 mi) W earthquakes near Santa Isabel Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.3 21 km SSE of Arroyo, Puerto Rico
  2. 1.7 4 km ENE of Bayamon, Puerto Rico
  3. 1.9 0 km SSE of Jobos, Puerto Rico
  4. 1.5 1 km E of Jobos, Puerto Rico
  5. 2.2 7 km WNW of Palomas, Puerto Rico
  6. 1.8 3 km ENE of Jobos, Puerto Rico
  7. 1.9 0 km NNE of Jobos, Puerto Rico
  8. 1.8 1 km ESE of Jobos, Puerto Rico
  9. 2.2 1 km S of Ponce, Puerto Rico
  10. 1.6 3 km ESE of La Plena, Puerto Rico
  11. 1.5 3 km ENE of La Plena, Puerto Rico
  12. 1.9 0 km NNE of Jobos, Puerto Rico
  13. 2.8 0 km SSE of Jobos, Puerto Rico
  14. 2.7 0 km S of Jobos, Puerto Rico
  15. 1.8 1 km WSW of Jauca, 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.