QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.6md

Earthquake near Guánica, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Guánica in the 24 hours to 10:48 am AST (14:48 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 13 km (8 mi) ENE, at 4:39 pm AST on 9 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Guánica

This page: a magnitude 1.6 earthquake was recorded 18 km (11 mi) south-southwest of Guánica, PR, at 7:48 pm AST on 26 March 2019 (23:48 UTC), 5.0 km deep.

USGS: 17 km SSW of Guánica, Puerto Rico

41 km (26 mi) WSW of Ponce, PR

7:48 pm AST, Mar 26, 2019 · · 5.0 km deep · released about 8.7 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Guánica Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Guánica Municipio 15 kmLajas Municipio 19 kmGuayanilla Municipio 27 kmSabana Grande Municipio 29 kmCabo Rojo Municipio 30 kmYauco Municipio 32 kmSan Germán Municipio 33 kmPeñuelas Municipio 34 kmHormigueros Municipio 38 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
7:48 pm AST on 26 March 2019 ()
Where
18 km (11 mi) south-southwest of Guánica, PR · earthquakes near Guánica
Magnitude
M 1.6 (md)
Depth
5.0 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Guánica Municipio, 15 km NNE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2786 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 11 km (7 mi) from the epicentre. In Guánica, 18 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: La Parguera, Fuig, Maria Antonia, Palomas, Liborio Negron Torres, Indios.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 8.7 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,700,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,200,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 110× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.6 about 8.7 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 since 1900 lists no earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km.

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 17.8218, -66.9675. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Guánica Municipio, PR 15 km (9 mi) NNE earthquakes near Guánica Municipio
Lajas Municipio, PR 19 km (12 mi) NNW earthquakes near Lajas Municipio
Guayanilla Municipio, PR 27 km (17 mi) NE earthquakes near Guayanilla Municipio
Sabana Grande Municipio, PR 29 km (18 mi) N earthquakes near Sabana Grande Municipio
Cabo Rojo Municipio, PR 30 km (19 mi) NW earthquakes near Cabo Rojo Municipio
Yauco Municipio, PR 32 km (20 mi) NNE earthquakes near Yauco Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 4 km SW of Maricao, Puerto Rico
  2. 1.8 2 km WNW of Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico
  3. 1.6 15 km S of Ponce, Puerto Rico
  4. 1.5 1 km WSW of Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico
  5. 2.0 15 km S of Ponce, Puerto Rico
  6. 2.1 6 km NNE of Sabana Eneas, Puerto Rico
  7. 2.0 8 km SW of Pole Ojea, Puerto Rico
  8. 2.1 3 km NE of Liborio Negron Torres, Puerto Rico
  9. 1.9 1 km W of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  10. 1.8 15 km WSW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  11. 2.4 19 km W of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  12. 2.0 3 km S of Guánica, Puerto Rico
  13. 1.9 6 km NNW of Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico
  14. 1.7 11 km NE of Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico
  15. 2.0 4 km SSE of Espino, 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.