QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8md

Earthquake near Guánica, PR

Yes: an earthquake was likely felt in Guánica in the last 24 hours. M 2.1, 7 km (4 mi) ENE of Guánica, at 4:14 pm AST on 11 November 2026 (20:14 UTC); the estimated shaking in Guánica was intensity II (weak). Every earthquake near Guánica

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 18 km (11 mi) south-southwest of Guánica, PR, at 5:26 am AST on 16 May 2019 (09:26 UTC), 19 km deep.

USGS: 18 km SSW of Guánica, Puerto Rico

41 km (25 mi) WSW of Ponce, PR

5:26 am AST, May 16, 2019 · · 19 km deep · released about 16 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 20 kmGuayanilla Municipio 27 kmSabana Grande Municipio 30 kmCabo Rojo Municipio 31 kmYauco Municipio 32 kmSan Germán Municipio 34 kmPeñuelas Municipio 34 kmHormigueros Municipio 39 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
5:26 am AST on 16 May 2019 ()
Where
18 km (11 mi) south-southwest of Guánica, PR · earthquakes near Guánica
Magnitude
M 1.8 (md)
Depth
19 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 2737 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 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: Maria Antonia, Fuig, La Parguera, Palomas, Indios, Liborio Negron Torres.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 16 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 5.8 930,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 660,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 59× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.8 about 16 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 17.8143, -66.9566. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Guánica Municipio, PR 15 km (10 mi) NNE earthquakes near Guánica Municipio
Lajas Municipio, PR 20 km (13 mi) NNW earthquakes near Lajas Municipio
Guayanilla Municipio, PR 27 km (17 mi) NE earthquakes near Guayanilla Municipio
Sabana Grande Municipio, PR 30 km (19 mi) N earthquakes near Sabana Grande Municipio
Cabo Rojo Municipio, PR 31 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

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

  1. 1.5 5 km NE of Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico
  2. 2.4 3 km WNW of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  3. 1.9 5 km N of Peñuelas, Puerto Rico
  4. 2.1 8 km S of Indios, Puerto Rico
  5. 1.8 1 km SSE of Hormigueros, Puerto Rico
  6. 1.6 Puerto Rico region
  7. 2.1 8 km NNE of Lluveras, Puerto Rico
  8. 1.9 28 km SSE of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  9. 1.7 6 km SSW of Pole Ojea, Puerto Rico
  10. 2.0 5 km SW of Adjuntas, Puerto Rico
  11. 1.9 6 km SSE of Tallaboa, Puerto Rico
  12. 2.4 5 km NE of Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico
  13. 1.8 7 km NE of Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico
  14. 2.0 5 km NNE of Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico
  15. 1.8 12 km WNW 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.