QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.7ml

Earthquake near Pecos, TX

No earthquake was likely felt in Pecos in the 24 hours to 3:29 pm CST (21:29 UTC). The last one was M 2.0, 4 km (3 mi) S, at 9:06 pm CST on 7 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Pecos

This page: a magnitude 1.7 earthquake was recorded 32 km (20 mi) south-southeast of Pecos, TX, at 3:15 am CST on 26 December 2023 (09:15 UTC), 7.1 km deep.

USGS: 26 km WSW of Coyanosa, Texas

3:15 am CST, Dec 26, 2023 · · 7.1 km deep · released about 11 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Reeves County 39 kmWard County 44 kmPecos County 73 kmLoving County 78 kmWinkler County 78 kmCrane County 85 kmJeff Davis County 102 kmEctor County 107 kmCulberson County 118 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
3:15 am CST on 26 December 2023 ()
Where
32 km (20 mi) south-southeast of Pecos, TX · earthquakes near Pecos
Texas today
every earthquake in Texas in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 1.7 (ml)
Depth
7.1 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Reeves County, 39 km WNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1042 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 10 km (6 mi) from the epicentre. In Pecos, 32 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 11 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,400,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,000,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 89× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.7 about 11 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 31.1710, -103.3300. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Reeves County, TX 39 km (25 mi) WNW earthquakes near Reeves County
Ward County, TX 44 km (27 mi) NNE earthquakes near Ward County
Pecos County, TX 73 km (45 mi) SE earthquakes near Pecos County
Loving County, TX 78 km (49 mi) NNW earthquakes near Loving County
Winkler County, TX 78 km (49 mi) NNE earthquakes near Winkler County
Crane County, TX 85 km (53 mi) ENE earthquakes near Crane County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.8 8 km SSW of Lindsay, Texas
  2. 1.6 13 km SE of Barstow, Texas
  3. 1.8 10 km SSW of Lindsay, Texas
  4. 1.6 7 km ESE of Lindsay, Texas
  5. 1.6 9 km SSW of Lindsay, Texas
  6. 1.6 16 km SSE of Barstow, Texas
  7. 1.8 13 km S of Lindsay, Texas
  8. 2.1 8 km ENE of Balmorhea, Texas
  9. 1.7 12 km ESE of Balmorhea, Texas
  10. 2.0 8 km NNE of Toyah, Texas
  11. 1.8 31 km SW of Coyanosa, Texas
  12. 2.3 13 km N of Balmorhea, Texas
  13. 1.6 11 km N of Coyanosa, Texas
  14. 1.9 24 km ESE of Balmorhea, Texas
  15. 1.7 7 km NNE of Toyah, 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.