QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 5.8mwp

Earthquake near Indios, PR

Yes: an earthquake was likely felt in Indios in the last 24 hours. M 2.3, 5 km (3 mi) E of Indios, at 7:05 pm AST on 12 November 2026 (23:05 UTC); the estimated shaking in Indios was intensity II (weak). Every earthquake near Indios

This page: a magnitude 5.8 earthquake was recorded 14 km (9 mi) south of Indios, PR, at 6:32 am AST on 6 January 2020 (10:32 UTC), 6.0 km deep. 661 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 14 km S of Indios, Puerto Rico

25 km (16 mi) SW of Ponce, PR

6:32 am AST, Jan 6, 2020 · · 6.0 km deep · released about 7.6 kilotons of TNT

Every earthquake near Indios Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Guánica Municipio 14 kmGuayanilla Municipio 15 kmPeñuelas Municipio 20 kmYauco Municipio 25 kmLajas Municipio 26 kmPonce Municipio 27 kmSabana Grande Municipio 28 kmSan Germán Municipio 35 kmAdjuntas Municipio 36 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
6:32 am AST on 6 January 2020 ()
Where
14 km (9 mi) south of Indios, PR · earthquakes near Indios
Magnitude
M 5.8 (mwp)
Depth
6.0 km below the surface
Felt
661 reports · strongest reported intensity VI
Measured shaking
intensity VI (ShakeMap)
USGS impact alert
yellow
Nearest
Guánica Municipio, 14 km NW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 325 days ago

This was a moderate earthquake. Shaking at this size can damage poorly built structures close to the epicentre.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 310 km (193 mi) from the epicentre. In Indios, 14 km away, the estimate is intensity VI (strong). 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: Guayanilla 17 km, intensity V · Magas Arriba 18 km, intensity V · Tallaboa 18 km, intensity V · Yauco 19 km, intensity V · Tallaboa Alta 24 km, intensity V · Ponce 26 km, intensity V · San Germán 34 km, intensity V · Adjuntas 34 km, intensity V. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 7.6 kilotons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 6.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Ridgecrest, California 2019 M 7.1 89× the energy of this one
  2. Loma Prieta, California 1989 M 6.9 45× the energy of this one
  3. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 22× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 5.8 about 7.6 kilotons of TNT
  5. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 this one released 1.4× more
  6. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 16,000× more

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 (31 mi) since our catalogue begins in 2016. The previous largest was M 5.0 on 2019-12-29.

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 17.8675, -66.8193. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Guánica Municipio, PR 14 km (9 mi) NW earthquakes near Guánica Municipio
Guayanilla Municipio, PR 15 km (10 mi) N earthquakes near Guayanilla Municipio
Peñuelas Municipio, PR 20 km (13 mi) NNE earthquakes near Peñuelas Municipio
Yauco Municipio, PR 25 km (15 mi) N earthquakes near Yauco Municipio
Lajas Municipio, PR 26 km (16 mi) WNW earthquakes near Lajas Municipio
Ponce Municipio, PR 27 km (17 mi) ENE earthquakes near Ponce Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.5 1 km NW of Palomas, Puerto Rico
  2. 1.7 8 km SSE of Guánica, Puerto Rico
  3. 2.3 8 km S of Indios, Puerto Rico
  4. 2.1 6 km SSE of Guánica, Puerto Rico
  5. 2.0 8 km SSE of Indios, Puerto Rico
  6. 2.5 13 km SSE of Indios, Puerto Rico
  7. 2.6 5 km SSW of Indios, Puerto Rico
  8. 2.4 13 km S of Indios, Puerto Rico
  9. 2.6 10 km SSE of Indios, Puerto Rico
  10. 3.5 9 km SSE of Indios, Puerto Rico
  11. 2.1 6 km S of Indios, Puerto Rico
  12. 3.0 Puerto Rico region
  13. 2.0 5 km S of Guánica, Puerto Rico
  14. 1.7 4 km SSE of Maria Antonia, Puerto Rico
  15. 2.1 11 km SSE of Indios, 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.