QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Maricao, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Maricao in the 24 hours to 6:11 pm AST (22:11 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 2.1 earthquake was recorded 7 km (4 mi) southeast of Maricao, PR, at 4:43 am AST on 21 May 2019 (08:43 UTC), 14 km deep.

USGS: 6 km SE of Maricao, Puerto Rico

36 km (23 mi) WNW of Ponce, PR · 23 km (14 mi) ESE of Mayagüez, PR

4:43 am AST, May 21, 2019 · · 14 km deep · released about 41 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Maricao Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Maricao Municipio 3 kmSabana Grande Municipio 7 kmYauco Municipio 10 kmLas Marías Municipio 10 kmSan Germán Municipio 12 kmLares Municipio 16 kmAdjuntas Municipio 19 kmHormigueros Municipio 20 kmSan Sebastián Municipio 21 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
4:43 am AST on 21 May 2019 ()
Where
7 km (4 mi) southeast of Maricao, PR · earthquakes near Maricao
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
14 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Maricao Municipio, 3 km N
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2731 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 10 km (6 mi) from the epicentre. In Maricao, 7 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, Liborio Negron Torres, Lluveras, San Germán, Yauco, Palomas.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 41 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 370,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 260,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 23× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 41 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 · 44 km NW of this epicentre
  2. 5.8 4 km E of Moca, Puerto Rico · 32 km NNW of this epicentre
  3. 5.2 19 km SW of Stella, Puerto Rico · 47 km W of this epicentre
  4. 5.1 21 km SW of Stella, Puerto Rico · 47 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 18.1466, -66.9300. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Maricao Municipio, PR 3 km (2 mi) N earthquakes near Maricao Municipio
Sabana Grande Municipio, PR 7 km (4 mi) SSW earthquakes near Sabana Grande Municipio
Yauco Municipio, PR 10 km (6 mi) SE earthquakes near Yauco Municipio
Las Marías Municipio, PR 10 km (6 mi) NNW earthquakes near Las Marías Municipio
San Germán Municipio, PR 12 km (8 mi) WSW earthquakes near San Germán Municipio
Lares Municipio, PR 16 km (10 mi) NNE earthquakes near Lares Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.0 17 km SW of Stella, Puerto Rico
  2. 1.8 4 km NW of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
  3. 1.8 1 km SSE of Hormigueros, Puerto Rico
  4. 1.5 14 km WNW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  5. 1.6 Puerto Rico region
  6. 2.1 8 km NNE of Lluveras, Puerto Rico
  7. 1.9 28 km SSE of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  8. 1.7 6 km SSW of Pole Ojea, Puerto Rico
  9. 2.0 5 km SW of Adjuntas, Puerto Rico
  10. 1.9 6 km SSE of Tallaboa, Puerto Rico
  11. 2.4 5 km NE of Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico
  12. 1.8 7 km NE of Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico
  13. 2.0 5 km NNE of Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico
  14. 1.8 12 km WNW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  15. 2.2 5 km NE of Sabana Grande, 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.