QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3md

Earthquake near La Plena, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in La Plena in the 24 hours to 7:36 pm AST (23:36 UTC). The last one was M 3.0, 31 km (19 mi) SW, at 7:09 pm AST on 5 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near La Plena

This page: a magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 4 km (2 mi) north-northeast of La Plena, PR, at 5:20 pm AST on 24 November 2019 (21:20 UTC), 18 km deep.

USGS: 3 km NNE of La Plena, Puerto Rico

39 km (24 mi) SSW of San Juan, PR · 23 km (14 mi) SW of Caguas, PR

5:20 pm AST, Nov 24, 2019 · · 18 km deep · released about 82 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near La Plena Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Cayey Municipio 5 kmAibonito Municipio 10 kmCidra Municipio 11 kmGuayama Municipio 13 kmSalinas Municipio 14 kmComerío Municipio 17 kmCoamo Municipio 18 kmBarranquitas Municipio 19 kmArroyo Municipio 19 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
5:20 pm AST on 24 November 2019 ()
Where
4 km (2 mi) north-northeast of La Plena, PR · earthquakes near La Plena
Magnitude
M 2.3 (md)
Depth
18 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Cayey Municipio, 5 km NE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2544 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 8 km (5 mi) from the epicentre. In La Plena, 4 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.

Likely felt in: Cayey 4 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 82 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.3 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 180,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 130,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 12× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 82 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

The largest earthquake within 50 km since 2016 was M 4.6 on 2016-12-05 — about 2,900 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 2 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.1 3 km W of Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico · 21 km NNE of this epicentre
  2. 5.0 3 km N of Brenas, Puerto Rico · 50 km NNW 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 18.0775, -66.1860. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Cayey Municipio, PR 5 km (3 mi) NE earthquakes near Cayey Municipio
Aibonito Municipio, PR 10 km (6 mi) NW earthquakes near Aibonito Municipio
Cidra Municipio, PR 11 km (7 mi) NNE earthquakes near Cidra Municipio
Guayama Municipio, PR 13 km (8 mi) SSE earthquakes near Guayama Municipio
Salinas Municipio, PR 14 km (9 mi) SW earthquakes near Salinas Municipio
Comerío Municipio, PR 17 km (10 mi) NNW earthquakes near Comerío Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.8 11 km SSW of Potala Pastillo, Puerto Rico
  2. 2.0 11 km SW of Potala Pastillo, Puerto Rico
  3. 2.9 13 km SSE of Ponce, Puerto Rico
  4. 1.8 10 km S of Ponce, Puerto Rico
  5. 2.0 12 km SW of Potala Pastillo, Puerto Rico
  6. 1.9 12 km SW of Potala Pastillo, Puerto Rico
  7. 2.1 14 km SSE of Ponce, Puerto Rico
  8. 1.9 12 km S of Ponce, Puerto Rico
  9. 2.1 12 km SSE of Ponce, Puerto Rico
  10. 2.1 12 km SSE of Ponce, Puerto Rico
  11. 2.4 12 km SW of Potala Pastillo, Puerto Rico
  12. 2.3 1 km NW of Jauca, Puerto Rico
  13. 2.2 13 km SW of Potala Pastillo, Puerto Rico
  14. 2.3 13 km SSW of Potala Pastillo, Puerto Rico
  15. 2.0 12 km SSE of Ponce, 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.