QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.2md

Earthquake near Mayagüez, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Mayagüez in the 24 hours to 10:31 pm AST (02:31 UTC). The last one was M 2.9, 25 km (15 mi) SSE, at 3:17 am AST on 8 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Mayagüez

This page: a magnitude 2.2 earthquake was recorded 45 km (28 mi) southwest of Mayagüez, PR, at 9:44 pm AST on 13 January 2021 (01:44 UTC), 18 km deep.

USGS: 30 km W of Pole Ojea, Puerto Rico

90 km (56 mi) W of Ponce, PR · 45 km (28 mi) SW of Mayagüez, PR

9:44 pm AST, Jan 13, 2021 · · 18 km deep · released about 64 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Mayagüez Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Cabo Rojo Municipio 31 kmHormigueros Municipio 43 kmLajas Municipio 46 kmMayagüez Municipio 46 kmSan Germán Municipio 49 kmRincón Municipio 49 kmAñasco Municipio 52 kmAguada Municipio 56 kmSabana Grande 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
9:44 pm AST on 13 January 2021 ()
Where
45 km (28 mi) southwest of Mayagüez, PR · earthquakes near Mayagüez
Magnitude
M 2.2 (md)
Depth
18 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Cabo Rojo Municipio, 31 km E
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2018 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 5 km (3 mi) from the epicentre. In Mayagüez, 45 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 64 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.2 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 230,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 170,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 15× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.2 about 64 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 5.3 on 2020-07-03 — about 42,000 times the energy of this one.

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

  1. 5.2 19 km SW of Stella, Puerto Rico · 29 km NNE of this epicentre
  2. 5.1 21 km SW of Stella, Puerto Rico · 27 km NNE 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 17.9475, -67.4721. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Cabo Rojo Municipio, PR 31 km (19 mi) E earthquakes near Cabo Rojo Municipio
Hormigueros Municipio, PR 43 km (27 mi) ENE earthquakes near Hormigueros Municipio
Lajas Municipio, PR 46 km (28 mi) E earthquakes near Lajas Municipio
Mayagüez Municipio, PR 46 km (29 mi) WNW earthquakes near Mayagüez Municipio
San Germán Municipio, PR 49 km (31 mi) ENE earthquakes near San Germán Municipio
Rincón Municipio, PR 49 km (31 mi) NNE earthquakes near Rincón Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.7 2 km SSW of Monte Grande, Puerto Rico
  2. 1.7 5 km SSW of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  3. 1.6 4 km S of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  4. 1.7 3 km SE of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  5. 1.5 3 km SSW of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  6. 1.6 3 km SW of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  7. 1.9 4 km E of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  8. 1.9 6 km ESE of Pole Ojea, Puerto Rico
  9. 2.3 7 km WSW of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  10. 1.9 17 km WSW of Pole Ojea, Puerto Rico
  11. 1.7 4 km ESE of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  12. 2.1 5 km WSW of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  13. 1.6 4 km SE of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  14. 1.7 5 km SE of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  15. 1.9 3 km E of La Parguera, 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.