QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.4md

Earthquake near Guaynabo, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Guaynabo in the 24 hours to 5:51 pm AST (21:51 UTC). The last one was M 4.1, 93 km (58 mi) ESE, at 5:44 am AST on 28 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 5 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Guaynabo

This page: a magnitude 2.4 earthquake was recorded 2 km (1 mi) south of Guaynabo, PR, at 10:53 pm AST on 24 December 2020 (02:53 UTC), 9.0 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 2 km S of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

9 km (6 mi) SW of San Juan, PR · 7 km (4 mi) SE of Bayamón, PR

10:53 pm AST, Dec 24, 2020 · · 9.0 km deep · released about 130 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Guaynabo Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Guaynabo Municipio 1 kmBayamón Municipio 6 kmAguas Buenas Municipio 9 kmSan Juan Municipio 11 kmTrujillo Alto Municipio 12 kmCataño Municipio 12 kmToa Alta Municipio 14 kmCaguas Municipio 16 kmNaranjito Municipio 16 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
10:53 pm AST on 24 December 2020 ()
Where
2 km (1 mi) south of Guaynabo, PR · earthquakes near Guaynabo
Magnitude
M 2.4 (md)
Depth
9.0 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Guaynabo Municipio, 1 km N
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1556 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 19 km (12 mi) from the epicentre. In Guaynabo, 2 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: Guaynabo 2 km, intensity II · Bayamón 8 km, intensity II · Trujillo Alto 11 km, intensity II · Cataño 12 km, intensity II · Sumidero 13 km, intensity II · Caguas 13 km, intensity II · San Juan 14 km, intensity II · Levittown 14 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 130 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.4 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 120,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 83,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 7.4× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.4 about 130 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 2019-03-12 — about 1,900 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 · 9 km SSW of this epicentre
  2. 5.0 3 km N of Brenas, Puerto Rico · 30 km NW 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 18.3373, -66.1138. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Guaynabo Municipio, PR 1 km (0 mi) N earthquakes near Guaynabo Municipio
Bayamón Municipio, PR 6 km (4 mi) WNW earthquakes near Bayamón Municipio
Aguas Buenas Municipio, PR 9 km (6 mi) S earthquakes near Aguas Buenas Municipio
San Juan Municipio, PR 11 km (7 mi) NNE earthquakes near San Juan Municipio
Trujillo Alto Municipio, PR 12 km (7 mi) E earthquakes near Trujillo Alto Municipio
Cataño Municipio, PR 12 km (8 mi) NNW earthquakes near Cataño 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. 2.0 4 km SSE of G. L. Garcia, Puerto Rico
  2. 2.2 1 km SW of H. Rivera Colon, Puerto Rico
  3. 2.3 3 km SE of Jobos, Puerto Rico
  4. 2.9 23 km N of Loíza, Puerto Rico
  5. 2.5 5 km NW of Los Llanos, Puerto Rico
  6. 3.4 0 km NE of Mucarabones, Puerto Rico
  7. 2.3 8 km S of Ciales, Puerto Rico
  8. 2.5 1 km NW of Jauca, Puerto Rico
  9. 3.0 34 km N of San Juan, Puerto Rico
  10. 2.7 4 km WNW of Palomas, Puerto Rico
  11. 3.1 10 km NNW of Sabana, Puerto Rico
  12. 2.0 5 km E of Orocovis, Puerto Rico
  13. 3.2 4 km SE of Cataño, Puerto Rico
  14. 3.1 19 km NNE of San Juan, Puerto Rico
  15. 2.9 16 km NNE of Suárez, 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.