QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8md

Earthquake near Guánica, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Guánica in the 24 hours to 1:01 pm AST (17:01 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 1.8 earthquake was recorded 11 km (7 mi) south-southwest of Guánica, PR, at 7:20 am AST on 12 September 2019 (11:20 UTC), 12 km deep.

USGS: 10 km SSW of Guánica, Puerto Rico

36 km (22 mi) WSW of Ponce, PR

7:20 am AST, Sep 12, 2019 · · 12 km deep · released about 13 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Guánica Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Guánica Municipio 8 kmLajas Municipio 16 kmGuayanilla Municipio 20 kmSabana Grande Municipio 23 kmYauco Municipio 24 kmPeñuelas Municipio 27 kmSan Germán Municipio 28 kmCabo Rojo Municipio 29 kmMaricao Municipio 33 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
7:20 am AST on 12 September 2019 ()
Where
11 km (7 mi) south-southwest of Guánica, PR · earthquakes near Guánica
Magnitude
M 1.8 (md)
Depth
12 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Guánica Municipio, 8 km N
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2617 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 5 km (3 mi) from the epicentre. In Guánica, 11 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, Lluveras.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 13 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 1,100,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 810,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 72× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.8 about 13 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 17.8785, -66.9355. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Guánica Municipio, PR 8 km (5 mi) N earthquakes near Guánica Municipio
Lajas Municipio, PR 16 km (10 mi) NW earthquakes near Lajas Municipio
Guayanilla Municipio, PR 20 km (13 mi) NE earthquakes near Guayanilla Municipio
Sabana Grande Municipio, PR 23 km (14 mi) N earthquakes near Sabana Grande Municipio
Yauco Municipio, PR 24 km (15 mi) NNE earthquakes near Yauco Municipio
Peñuelas Municipio, PR 27 km (17 mi) NE earthquakes near Peñuelas 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. 2.0 12 km SSE of Ponce, Puerto Rico
  2. 2.0 2 km NNE of Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico
  3. 1.8 4 km WNW of Hormigueros, Puerto Rico
  4. 2.0 12 km S of Ponce, Puerto Rico
  5. 1.6 6 km WSW of Guánica, Puerto Rico
  6. 1.6 12 km SSE of Ponce, Puerto Rico
  7. 1.5 3 km WNW of Palmarejo, Puerto Rico
  8. 2.0 3 km SW of San Sebastián, Puerto Rico
  9. 2.2 7 km S of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  10. 1.6 10 km SSW of Potala Pastillo, Puerto Rico
  11. 1.8 12 km SSE of Ponce, Puerto Rico
  12. 2.3 8 km SE of Tallaboa, Puerto Rico
  13. 1.8 1 km E of Lluveras, Puerto Rico
  14. 1.6 4 km ESE of Boquerón, Puerto Rico
  15. 2.0 1 km SE of Maricao, 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.