QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 3.9md

Earthquake near Utuado, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Utuado in the 24 hours to 12:52 pm AST (16:52 UTC). The last one was M 3.1, 40 km (25 mi) SSW, at 3:58 pm AST on 31 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Utuado

This page: a magnitude 3.9 earthquake was recorded 2 km (1 mi) south-southwest of Utuado, PR, at 12:44 pm AST on 16 May 2024 (16:44 UTC), 140 km deep. 5 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 2 km SSW of Utuado, Puerto Rico

70 km (44 mi) WSW of San Juan, PR · 23 km (14 mi) S of Arecibo, PR

12:44 pm AST, May 16, 2024 · · 140 km deep · released about 11 tons of TNT

Every earthquake near Utuado Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Utuado Municipio 3 kmAdjuntas Municipio 9 kmJayuya Municipio 13 kmLares Municipio 17 kmFlorida Municipio 20 kmArecibo Municipio 21 kmCiales Municipio 21 kmHatillo Municipio 23 kmYauco Municipio 24 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
12:44 pm AST on 16 May 2024 ()
Where
2 km (1 mi) south-southwest of Utuado, PR · earthquakes near Utuado
Magnitude
M 3.9 (md)
Depth
140 km below the surface
Felt
5 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Measured shaking
intensity II (ShakeMap)
Nearest
Utuado Municipio, 3 km NNE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 763 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 Utuado, 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.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Cayuco, Adjuntas, Jayuya, Quebrada, Lares, Rafael Capo.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 11 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 4.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 16,000× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 710× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 500× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 3.9 about 11 tons of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 22× 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 since 2016 was M 6.4 on 2020-01-07 — about 5,600 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 3 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.8 12 km N of Garrochales, Puerto Rico · 38 km NNE of this epicentre
  2. 5.8 4 km E of Moca, Puerto Rico · 42 km WNW of this epicentre
  3. 5.0 3 km N of Brenas, Puerto Rico · 48 km NE 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 18.2481, -66.7080. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Utuado Municipio, PR 3 km (2 mi) NNE earthquakes near Utuado Municipio
Adjuntas Municipio, PR 9 km (6 mi) SW earthquakes near Adjuntas Municipio
Jayuya Municipio, PR 13 km (8 mi) ESE earthquakes near Jayuya Municipio
Lares Municipio, PR 17 km (11 mi) W earthquakes near Lares Municipio
Florida Municipio, PR 20 km (13 mi) NE earthquakes near Florida Municipio
Arecibo Municipio, PR 21 km (13 mi) N earthquakes near Arecibo Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.8 6 km SSW of Guánica, Puerto Rico
  2. 2.5 2 km WSW of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  3. 2.6 1 km WSW of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  4. 2.8 12 km SSE of Maria Antonia, Puerto Rico
  5. 2.8 1 km W of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  6. 2.4 2 km W of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  7. 2.3 5 km E of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  8. 2.5 6 km SW of Guánica, Puerto Rico
  9. 1.7 2 km NE of Magas Arriba, Puerto Rico
  10. 2.5 5 km WSW of Guánica, Puerto Rico
  11. 2.2 6 km SSW of Tallaboa, Puerto Rico
  12. 2.5 4 km WSW of Guánica, Puerto Rico
  13. 2.1 1 km S of Yauco, Puerto Rico
  14. 2.3 6 km ENE of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  15. 1.9 2 km SSE of Guánica, 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.