QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.5ml

Earthquake near Odessa, TX

No earthquake was likely felt in Odessa in the 24 hours to 1:11 am CST (07:11 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 1.5 earthquake was recorded 9 km (6 mi) north-northeast of Odessa, TX, at 11:43 pm CST on 17 February 2022 (05:43 UTC), 8.0 km deep.

USGS: 9 km NNE of Odessa, Texas

5 km (3 mi) N of Odessa, TX

11:43 pm CST, Feb 17, 2022 · · 8.0 km deep · released about 5.4 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Ector County 21 kmMidland County 34 kmAndrews County 52 kmMartin County 55 kmCrane County 58 kmWinkler County 69 kmUpton County 69 kmGlasscock County 77 kmWard County 86 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
11:43 pm CST on 17 February 2022 ()
Where
9 km (6 mi) north-northeast of Odessa, TX · earthquakes near Odessa
Texas today
every earthquake in Texas in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 1.5 (ml)
Depth
8.0 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Ector County, 21 km WSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 560 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth it was probably too small to be felt, even directly above it. In Odessa, 9 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: Gardendale, West Odessa, Midland.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 5.4 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.5 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 2,800,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 2,000,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 180× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.5 about 5.4 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 31.9250, -102.3360. 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 52 km (32 mi) NNW earthquakes near Andrews County
Martin County, TX 55 km (34 mi) NE earthquakes near Martin County
Crane County, TX 58 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

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

  1. 2.4 12 km NNW of Midland, Texas
  2. 2.0 western Texas
  3. 1.9 16 km NNW of Midland, Texas
  4. 2.0 4 km SW of Midland, Texas
  5. 1.5 10 km SE of Gardendale, Texas
  6. 2.3 16 km SW of McKinney Acres, Texas
  7. 2.0 9 km SSE of Midland, Texas
  8. 1.9 24 km N of Midland, Texas
  9. 1.5 5 km S of Gardendale, Texas
  10. 2.4 14 km NNW of Midland, Texas
  11. 2.0 10 km SSE of Gardendale, Texas
  12. 2.7 14 km NNW of Midland, Texas
  13. 2.1 10 km E of Gardendale, Texas
  14. 2.7 western Texas
  15. 1.9 8 km SE of Gardendale, 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.