QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 3.7md

Earthquake near Vega Baja, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Vega Baja in the 24 hours to 7:46 am AST (11:46 UTC). The last one was M 4.8, 81 km (51 mi) SW, at 9:19 am AST on 18 September 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 86 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Vega Baja

This page: a magnitude 3.7 earthquake was recorded 7 km (4 mi) north-northwest of Vega Baja, PR, at 12:58 am AST on 10 December 2022 (04:58 UTC), 110 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: Puerto Rico region

38 km (23 mi) WNW of San Juan, PR · 29 km (18 mi) WNW of Bayamón, PR

12:58 am AST, Dec 10, 2022 · · 110 km deep · released about 4.7 tons of TNT

Every earthquake near Vega Baja Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Vega Baja Municipio 5 kmVega Alta Municipio 10 kmManatí Municipio 11 kmDorado Municipio 15 kmBarceloneta Municipio 17 kmMorovis Municipio 21 kmFlorida Municipio 22 kmToa Alta Municipio 23 kmToa Baja Municipio 23 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
12:58 am AST on 10 December 2022 ()
Where
7 km (4 mi) north-northwest of Vega Baja, PR · earthquakes near Vega Baja
Magnitude
M 3.7 (md)
Depth
110 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Vega Baja Municipio, 5 km S
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1362 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 Vega Baja, 7 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: Sabana, Brenas, Ceiba, Monserrate, Coto Norte, Tierras Nuevas Poniente.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 4.7 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 4.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 36,000× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,600× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,100× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 3.7 about 4.7 tons of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 9.8× 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 in our catalogue was M 4.4 on 2018-12-09 — about 13 times the energy of this one.

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 18.5025, -66.4046. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Vega Baja Municipio, PR 5 km (3 mi) S earthquakes near Vega Baja Municipio
Vega Alta Municipio, PR 10 km (6 mi) SE earthquakes near Vega Alta Municipio
Manatí Municipio, PR 11 km (7 mi) SW earthquakes near Manatí Municipio
Dorado Municipio, PR 15 km (10 mi) ESE earthquakes near Dorado Municipio
Barceloneta Municipio, PR 17 km (10 mi) WSW earthquakes near Barceloneta Municipio
Morovis Municipio, PR 21 km (13 mi) S earthquakes near Morovis Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.1 6 km NE of Orocovis, Puerto Rico
  2. 2.8 10 km NNE of Carrizales, Puerto Rico
  3. 3.5 12 km NNE of Arecibo, Puerto Rico
  4. 3.2 3 km NNW of San Juan, Puerto Rico
  5. 3.1 5 km N of Garrochales, Puerto Rico
  6. 2.7 Puerto Rico region
  7. 3.3 47 km N of Arecibo, Puerto Rico
  8. 3.4 Puerto Rico region
  9. 3.6 11 km NNE of Hatillo, Puerto Rico
  10. 3.7 Puerto Rico region
  11. 2.9 Puerto Rico region
  12. 2.2 3 km ENE of Carrizales, Puerto Rico
  13. 2.6 2 km NNE of Orocovis, Puerto Rico
  14. 2.6 24 km NNE of Dorado, Puerto Rico
  15. 2.8 3 km W of Miranda, 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.