QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9ml

Earthquake near Odessa, TX

No earthquake was likely felt in Odessa in the 24 hours to 3:49 am CST (09:49 UTC). The last one was M 2.4, 28 km (17 mi) ENE, at 9:37 am CST on 3 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near Odessa

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 10 km (6 mi) north-northeast of Odessa, TX, at 4:29 am CST on 10 December 2021 (10:29 UTC), 8.1 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 10 km NNE of Odessa, Texas

6 km (4 mi) N of Odessa, TX

4:29 am CST, Dec 10, 2021 · · 8.1 km deep · released about 21 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Ector County 21 kmMidland County 34 kmAndrews County 51 kmMartin County 54 kmCrane County 59 kmWinkler County 69 kmUpton County 70 kmGlasscock County 77 kmWard County 87 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
4:29 am CST on 10 December 2021 ()
Where
10 km (6 mi) north-northeast of Odessa, TX · earthquakes near Odessa
Texas today
every earthquake in Texas in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 1.9 (ml)
Depth
8.1 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Ector County, 21 km WSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1722 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 Odessa, 10 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: Odessa 10 km, intensity II · Gardendale 11 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 21 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 710,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 500,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 45× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 21 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

No earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded within 50 km since our catalogue begins in 2016.

Before 2016, the USGS record since 1900 lists no earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km.

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 31.9345, -102.3336. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Ector County, TX 21 km (13 mi) WSW earthquakes near Ector County
Midland County, TX 34 km (21 mi) ESE earthquakes near Midland County
Andrews County, TX 51 km (32 mi) NW earthquakes near Andrews County
Martin County, TX 54 km (34 mi) NE earthquakes near Martin County
Crane County, TX 59 km (36 mi) SSW earthquakes near Crane County
Winkler County, TX 69 km (43 mi) W earthquakes near Winkler County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.0 5 km SSE of Gardendale, Texas
  2. 1.9 6 km SE of Gardendale, Texas
  3. 2.8 western Texas
  4. 2.9 9 km SSE of Gardendale, Texas
  5. 1.5 11 km N of Midland, Texas
  6. 1.7 31 km E of McKinney Acres, Texas
  7. 1.5 10 km SSE of Gardendale, Texas
  8. 1.6 33 km E of McKinney Acres, Texas
  9. 1.6 9 km E of Gardendale, Texas
  10. 1.6 18 km NW of Midland, Texas
  11. 1.6 6 km SE of Gardendale, Texas
  12. 1.5 9 km NNE of Odessa, Texas
  13. 2.6 10 km SSE of Midland, Texas
  14. 3.2 14 km ENE of Gardendale, Texas
  15. 1.5 33 km NNW of Midland, Texas

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.