QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 3.2md

Earthquake near Arecibo, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Arecibo in the 24 hours to 3:33 pm AST (19:33 UTC). The last one was M 3.4, 49 km (31 mi) NW, at 9:00 pm AST on 27 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Arecibo

This page: a magnitude 3.2 earthquake was recorded 39 km (24 mi) north-northwest of Arecibo, PR, at 7:46 am AST on 20 January 2023 (11:46 UTC), 14 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: Puerto Rico region

91 km (56 mi) WNW of San Juan, PR · 40 km (25 mi) NNW of Arecibo, PR

7:46 am AST, Jan 20, 2023 · · 14 km deep · released about 1.1 tons of TNT

Every earthquake near Arecibo Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Quebradillas Municipio 40 kmCamuy Municipio 41 kmHatillo Municipio 41 kmIsabela Municipio 42 kmArecibo Municipio 44 kmBarceloneta Municipio 46 kmAguadilla Municipio 50 kmManatí Municipio 52 kmFlorida Municipio 55 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
7:46 am AST on 20 January 2023 ()
Where
39 km (24 mi) north-northwest of Arecibo, PR · earthquakes near Arecibo
Magnitude
M 3.2 (md)
Depth
14 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Quebradillas Municipio, 40 km SSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1391 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, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 47 km (29 mi) from the epicentre. In Arecibo, 39 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: Hatillo 36 km, intensity II · Arecibo 39 km, intensity II · Quebradillas 39 km, intensity II · Isabela 41 km, intensity II · Rafael Hernandez 47 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 1.1 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 4.2 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 150,000× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 6,900× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 4,900× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 3.2 about 1.1 tons of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 2.3× 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 5.1 on 2019-09-24 — about 540 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 18.8068, -66.8120. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Quebradillas Municipio, PR 40 km (25 mi) SSW earthquakes near Quebradillas Municipio
Camuy Municipio, PR 41 km (25 mi) S earthquakes near Camuy Municipio
Hatillo Municipio, PR 41 km (25 mi) S earthquakes near Hatillo Municipio
Isabela Municipio, PR 42 km (26 mi) SSW earthquakes near Isabela Municipio
Arecibo Municipio, PR 44 km (27 mi) SSE earthquakes near Arecibo Municipio
Barceloneta Municipio, PR 46 km (29 mi) SE earthquakes near Barceloneta Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.8 23 km N of Tierras Nuevas Poniente, Puerto Rico
  2. 2.9 Puerto Rico region
  3. 2.6 11 km N of Carrizales, Puerto Rico
  4. 3.0 25 km NNE of Isabela, Puerto Rico
  5. 3.4 Mona Passage
  6. 2.5 20 km NNW of Brenas, Puerto Rico
  7. 3.3 59 km N of San Antonio, Puerto Rico
  8. 3.7 81 km N of Arecibo, Puerto Rico
  9. 2.8 10 km NNE of Carrizales, Puerto Rico
  10. 3.3 52 km N of San Antonio, Puerto Rico
  11. 3.5 12 km NNE of Arecibo, Puerto Rico
  12. 3.2 75 km N of Tierras Nuevas Poniente, Puerto Rico
  13. 3.2 71 km N of Arecibo, Puerto Rico
  14. 3.4 77 km N of Arecibo, Puerto Rico
  15. 3.2 80 km N of Arecibo, 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.