QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9md

Earthquake near Maricao, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Maricao in the 24 hours to 6:07 pm AST (22:07 UTC). The last one was M 3.0, 33 km (20 mi) SSE, at 3:45 am AST on 8 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Maricao

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 5 km (3 mi) south-southwest of Maricao, PR, at 8:55 am AST on 29 March 2019 (12:55 UTC), 22 km deep.

USGS: 5 km SSW of Maricao, Puerto Rico

17 km (10 mi) ESE of Mayagüez, PR · 103 km (64 mi) WSW of San Juan, PR

8:55 am AST, Mar 29, 2019 · · 22 km deep · released about 20 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Maricao Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N San Germán Municipio 5 kmMaricao Municipio 8 kmSabana Grande Municipio 8 kmLas Marías Municipio 10 kmHormigueros Municipio 13 kmYauco Municipio 16 kmLajas Municipio 18 kmLares Municipio 21 kmSan Sebastián 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
8:55 am AST on 29 March 2019 ()
Where
5 km (3 mi) south-southwest of Maricao, PR · earthquakes near Maricao
Magnitude
M 1.9 (md)
Depth
22 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
San Germán Municipio, 5 km SW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2784 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 Maricao, 5 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: Sabana Grande, San Germán, Sabana Eneas, Lajas, Liborio Negron Torres, Monte Grande.

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 4 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 6.3 6 km WNW of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico · 41 km NW of this epicentre
  2. 5.8 4 km E of Moca, Puerto Rico · 30 km NNW of this epicentre
  3. 5.2 19 km SW of Stella, Puerto Rico · 40 km W of this epicentre
  4. 5.1 21 km SW of Stella, Puerto Rico · 40 km W 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 18.1361, -66.9973. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
San Germán Municipio, PR 5 km (3 mi) SW earthquakes near San Germán Municipio
Maricao Municipio, PR 8 km (5 mi) ENE earthquakes near Maricao Municipio
Sabana Grande Municipio, PR 8 km (5 mi) SE earthquakes near Sabana Grande Municipio
Las Marías Municipio, PR 10 km (6 mi) NNE earthquakes near Las Marías Municipio
Hormigueros Municipio, PR 13 km (8 mi) W earthquakes near Hormigueros Municipio
Yauco Municipio, PR 16 km (10 mi) ESE earthquakes near Yauco Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

49 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. 2.2 18 km W of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  6. 2.0 16 km WNW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  7. 2.0 15 km S of Ponce, Puerto Rico
  8. 2.1 6 km NNE of Sabana Eneas, Puerto Rico
  9. 2.0 8 km SW of Pole Ojea, Puerto Rico
  10. 2.1 3 km NE of Liborio Negron Torres, Puerto Rico
  11. 1.9 1 km W of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  12. 2.6 26 km WSW of Stella, Puerto Rico
  13. 2.3 12 km SW of La Playa, Puerto Rico
  14. 1.8 15 km WSW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  15. 2.4 19 km W of Puerto Real, 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.