QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.7ml

Earthquake near Jal, NM

No earthquake was likely felt in Jal in the 24 hours to 12:57 am MST (07:57 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 2.7 earthquake was recorded 16 km (10 mi) northeast of Jal, NM, at 3:22 am MST on 22 January 2023 (10:22 UTC), 15 km deep.

USGS: 16 km NE of Jal, New Mexico

95 km (59 mi) WNW of Midland, TX

3:22 am MST, Jan 22, 2023 · · 15 km deep · released about 340 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Andrews County 43 kmWinkler County 44 kmLoving County 62 kmEctor County 66 kmLea County 70 kmGaines County 71 kmWard County 80 kmMartin County 106 kmYoakum County 106 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
3:22 am MST on 22 January 2023 ()
Where
16 km (10 mi) northeast of Jal, NM · earthquakes near Jal
Magnitude
M 2.7 (ml)
Depth
15 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Andrews County, 43 km ENE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1311 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 54 km (34 mi) from the epicentre. In Jal, 16 km away, the estimate is intensity III (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: Jal 16 km, intensity III · Eunice 24 km, intensity II · Kermit 42 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 340 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 45,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 32,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 2.8× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.7 about 340 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 32.2311, -103.0882. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Andrews County, TX 43 km (27 mi) ENE earthquakes near Andrews County
Winkler County, TX 44 km (28 mi) S earthquakes near Winkler County
Loving County, TX 62 km (38 mi) SW earthquakes near Loving County
Ector County, TX 66 km (41 mi) SE earthquakes near Ector County
Lea County, NM 70 km (43 mi) NNW earthquakes near Lea County
Gaines County, TX 71 km (44 mi) NE earthquakes near Gaines County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.3 20 km SW of Jal, New Mexico
  2. 1.6 19 km E of Jal, New Mexico
  3. 1.5 20 km SW of Jal, New Mexico
  4. 2.0 23 km E of Jal, New Mexico
  5. 2.4 18 km ESE of Jal, New Mexico
  6. 1.6 19 km ESE of Jal, New Mexico
  7. 1.7 14 km E of Jal, New Mexico
  8. 1.8 16 km ESE of Jal, New Mexico
  9. 2.9 20 km ESE of Jal, New Mexico
  10. 2.4 20 km ESE of Jal, New Mexico
  11. 1.8 18 km ESE of Jal, New Mexico
  12. 1.7 19 km ESE of Jal, New Mexico
  13. 2.0 18 km ESE of Jal, New Mexico
  14. 1.9 18 km ESE of Jal, New Mexico
  15. 1.9 25 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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