QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.6ml

Earthquake near Midland, TX

No earthquake was likely felt in Midland in the 24 hours to 4:15 pm CST (22:15 UTC). The last one was M 2.5, 35 km (22 mi) ESE, at 4:17 am CST on 4 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Midland

This page: a magnitude 1.6 earthquake was recorded 34 km (21 mi) north-northwest of Midland, TX, at 12:07 am CST on 22 February 2022 (06:07 UTC), 5.4 km deep.

USGS: 33 km E of McKinney Acres, Texas

30 km (19 mi) N of Midland, TX

12:07 am CST, Feb 22, 2022 · · 5.4 km deep · released about 7.6 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Martin County 20 kmAndrews County 44 kmDawson County 54 kmMidland County 55 kmEctor County 59 kmGaines County 66 kmHoward County 69 kmGlasscock County 77 kmBorden County 85 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
12:07 am CST on 22 February 2022 ()
Where
34 km (21 mi) north-northwest of Midland, TX · earthquakes near Midland
Texas today
every earthquake in Texas in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 1.6 (ml)
Depth
5.4 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Martin County, 20 km E
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 559 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 5 km (3 mi) from the epicentre. In Midland, 34 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.

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.

For this area

The largest earthquake within 50 km since 2016 was M 4.6 on 2021-12-28 — about 32,000 times the energy of this one.

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 32.2920, -102.1710. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Martin County, TX 20 km (12 mi) E earthquakes near Martin County
Andrews County, TX 44 km (27 mi) W earthquakes near Andrews County
Dawson County, TX 54 km (34 mi) NNE earthquakes near Dawson County
Midland County, TX 55 km (34 mi) SSE earthquakes near Midland County
Ector County, TX 59 km (37 mi) SW earthquakes near Ector County
Gaines County, TX 66 km (41 mi) NW earthquakes near Gaines County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 37 km SSW of Los Ybanez, Texas
  2. 2.7 19 km NW of Stanton, Texas
  3. 1.9 24 km N of Midland, Texas
  4. 2.3 29 km WSW of Ackerly, Texas
  5. 1.5 5 km S of Gardendale, Texas
  6. 2.4 14 km NNW of Midland, Texas
  7. 2.4 17 km NW of Stanton, Texas
  8. 2.0 10 km SSE of Gardendale, Texas
  9. 2.3 30 km WSW of Ackerly, Texas
  10. 2.2 20 km N of Stanton, Texas
  11. 2.2 10 km ENE of Stanton, Texas
  12. 2.1 19 km N of Stanton, Texas
  13. 3.3 19 km N of Stanton, Texas
  14. 2.6 18 km N of Stanton, Texas
  15. 1.8 10 km ENE of Stanton, 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.