QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.6ml

Earthquake near Jal, NM

No earthquake was likely felt in Jal in the 24 hours to 7:52 am MST (14:52 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 17 km (11 mi) SSW, at 3:01 pm MDT on 30 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Jal

This page: a magnitude 1.6 earthquake was recorded 13 km (8 mi) northeast of Jal, NM, at 8:42 pm MST on 20 December 2021 (03:42 UTC), 2.7 km deep.

USGS: 13 km NE of Jal, New Mexico

94 km (59 mi) WNW of Midland, TX

8:42 pm MST, Dec 20, 2021 · · 2.7 km deep · released about 7.6 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Jal Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Winkler County 41 kmAndrews County 45 kmLoving County 59 kmEctor County 64 kmLea County 73 kmGaines County 74 kmWard County 76 kmCrane County 104 kmMartin County 107 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
8:42 pm MST on 20 December 2021 ()
Where
13 km (8 mi) northeast of Jal, NM · earthquakes near Jal
Magnitude
M 1.6 (ml)
Depth
2.7 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Winkler County, 41 km S
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 190 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 7 km (4 mi) from the epicentre. In Jal, 13 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: Eunice.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 7.6 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 2,000,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,400,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 130× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.6 about 7.6 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.

Where

Epicentre 32.2000, -103.0950. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Winkler County, TX 41 km (25 mi) S earthquakes near Winkler County
Andrews County, TX 45 km (28 mi) ENE earthquakes near Andrews County
Loving County, TX 59 km (37 mi) SW earthquakes near Loving County
Ector County, TX 64 km (40 mi) SE earthquakes near Ector County
Lea County, NM 73 km (45 mi) NNW earthquakes near Lea County
Gaines County, TX 74 km (46 mi) NE earthquakes near Gaines County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.2 29 km SW of Jal, New Mexico
  2. 2.5 12 km SW of McKinney Acres, Texas
  3. 1.9 26 km SW of Jal, New Mexico
  4. 2.1 western Texas
  5. 2.2 24 km SW of Jal, New Mexico
  6. 2.0 24 km NNE of Mentone, Texas
  7. 2.5 30 km WNW of Jal, New Mexico
  8. 2.2 15 km NE of Jal, New Mexico
  9. 3.5 New Mexico
  10. 2.4 11 km SSW of McKinney Acres, Texas
  11. 3.1 19 km SW of Eunice, New Mexico
  12. 1.9 21 km SW of Jal, New Mexico
  13. 2.1 20 km SW of Jal, New Mexico
  14. 2.5 23 km SW of Jal, New Mexico
  15. 2.9 22 km SW of Jal, New Mexico

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

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