QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 3.4md

Earthquake near Luquillo, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Luquillo in the 24 hours to 2:32 pm AST (18:32 UTC). The last one was M 4.1, 61 km (38 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 Luquillo

This page: a magnitude 3.4 earthquake was recorded 19 km (12 mi) north-northeast of Luquillo, PR, at 8:22 pm AST on 3 May 2020 (00:22 UTC), 84 km deep.

USGS: 19 km NNE of Luquillo, Puerto Rico

48 km (30 mi) ENE of San Juan, PR · 40 km (25 mi) ENE of Carolina, PR

8:22 pm AST, May 3, 2020 · · 84 km deep · released about 2.2 tons of TNT

Every earthquake near Luquillo Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Fajardo Municipio 15 kmLuquillo Municipio 20 kmRío Grande Municipio 25 kmCeiba Municipio 30 kmLoíza Municipio 35 kmCanóvanas Municipio 35 kmNaguabo Municipio 37 kmCarolina Municipio 39 kmCulebra Municipio 40 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
8:22 pm AST on 3 May 2020 ()
Where
19 km (12 mi) north-northeast of Luquillo, PR · earthquakes near Luquillo
Magnitude
M 3.4 (md)
Depth
84 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Fajardo Municipio, 15 km SSE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2307 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 it was probably too small to be felt, even directly above it. In Luquillo, 19 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: Playa Fortuna, Fajardo, Ramos, Palmer, Hato Candal, Luis M. Cintron.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 2.2 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 4.4 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 78,000× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 3,500× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 2,500× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 3.4 about 2.2 tons of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 4.6× 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

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 18.5220, -65.6213. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Fajardo Municipio, PR 15 km (10 mi) SSE earthquakes near Fajardo Municipio
Luquillo Municipio, PR 20 km (12 mi) SSW earthquakes near Luquillo Municipio
Río Grande Municipio, PR 25 km (15 mi) SW earthquakes near Río Grande Municipio
Ceiba Municipio, PR 30 km (19 mi) S earthquakes near Ceiba Municipio
Loíza Municipio, PR 35 km (22 mi) WSW earthquakes near Loíza Municipio
Canóvanas Municipio, PR 35 km (22 mi) SW earthquakes near Canóvanas Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 3.1 59 km N of Culebra, Puerto Rico
  2. 3.0 66 km N of Culebra, Puerto Rico
  3. 3.0 22 km NNE of Luquillo, Puerto Rico
  4. 3.2 40 km NE of Vieques, Puerto Rico
  5. 3.1 19 km NNE of San Juan, Puerto Rico
  6. 2.6 19 km NNW of Culebra, Puerto Rico
  7. 3.4 7 km NW of Culebra, Puerto Rico
  8. 3.3 55 km N of Culebra, Puerto Rico
  9. 3.4 59 km N of Culebra, Puerto Rico
  10. 2.9 16 km NNE of Suárez, Puerto Rico
  11. 3.4 44 km N of Culebra, Puerto Rico
  12. 3.8 39 km N of Culebra, Puerto Rico
  13. 2.9 67 km NNE of Vieques, Puerto Rico
  14. 2.9 37 km NNE of Vieques, Puerto Rico
  15. 2.2 5 km ESE of Aguas Claras, 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.