QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.9md

Earthquake near Río Grande, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Río Grande in the 24 hours to 5:54 pm AST (21:54 UTC). The last one was M 4.1, 70 km (44 mi) SE, at 5:44 am AST on 28 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 5 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Río Grande

This page: a magnitude 2.9 earthquake was recorded 50 km (31 mi) north of Río Grande, PR, at 2:19 am AST on 24 November 2019 (06:19 UTC), 12 km deep.

USGS: 44 km N of Suárez, Puerto Rico

54 km (34 mi) NNE of San Juan, PR · 50 km (31 mi) NNE of Carolina, PR

2:19 am AST, Nov 24, 2019 · · 12 km deep · released about 680 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Río Grande Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Loíza Municipio 45 kmRío Grande Municipio 50 kmCarolina Municipio 51 kmLuquillo Municipio 52 kmSan Juan Municipio 53 kmFajardo Municipio 54 kmCataño Municipio 56 kmCanóvanas Municipio 56 kmToa Baja Municipio 58 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
2:19 am AST on 24 November 2019 ()
Where
50 km (31 mi) north of Río Grande, PR · earthquakes near Río Grande
Magnitude
M 2.9 (md)
Depth
12 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Loíza Municipio, 45 km SSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2545 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 30 km (19 mi) from the epicentre. In Río Grande, 50 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.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 680 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 22,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 16,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 1.4× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.9 about 680 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 2 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.1 92 km N of Suárez, Puerto Rico · 49 km N of this epicentre
  2. 5.0 73 km NNE of Vieques, Puerto Rico · 38 km ENE 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 18.8288, -65.8071. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Loíza Municipio, PR 45 km (28 mi) SSW earthquakes near Loíza Municipio
Río Grande Municipio, PR 50 km (31 mi) S earthquakes near Río Grande Municipio
Carolina Municipio, PR 51 km (32 mi) SSW earthquakes near Carolina Municipio
Luquillo Municipio, PR 52 km (32 mi) SSE earthquakes near Luquillo Municipio
San Juan Municipio, PR 53 km (33 mi) SSW earthquakes near San Juan Municipio
Fajardo Municipio, PR 54 km (34 mi) SSE earthquakes near Fajardo Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.9 16 km NNE of Suárez, Puerto Rico
  2. 3.2 77 km NNE of Vieques, Puerto Rico
  3. 2.6 33 km N of San Juan, Puerto Rico
  4. 3.2 74 km NNE of Vieques, Puerto Rico
  5. 3.1 80 km NNE of Luquillo, Puerto Rico
  6. 2.9 67 km NNE of Vieques, Puerto Rico
  7. 2.9 37 km NNE of Vieques, Puerto Rico
  8. 3.1 78 km NNE of Luquillo, Puerto Rico
  9. 2.0 Puerto Rico region
  10. 2.9 41 km NNE of Luquillo, Puerto Rico
  11. 3.3 58 km N of Culebra, Puerto Rico
  12. 3.3 75.2 km SSW of Luquillo, Puerto Rico
  13. 3.4 81 km NNE of Luquillo, Puerto Rico
  14. 3.3 76 km NNE of Luquillo, Puerto Rico
  15. 3.4 74 km NNE of Luquillo, 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.