QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.9ml

Earthquake near Monahans, TX

No earthquake was likely felt in Monahans in the 24 hours to 11:30 pm CST (05:30 UTC). The last one was M 3.7, 128 km (79 mi) W, at 4:27 pm CDT on 28 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 2 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Monahans

This page: a magnitude 2.9 earthquake was recorded 31 km (19 mi) south-southwest of Monahans, TX, at 10:28 pm CST on 12 January 2024 (04:28 UTC), 3.6 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 12 km N of Coyanosa, Texas

90 km (56 mi) SW of Odessa, TX

10:28 pm CST, Jan 12, 2024 · · 3.6 km deep · released about 680 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Ward County 18 kmWinkler County 53 kmCrane County 55 kmReeves County 62 kmLoving County 72 kmPecos County 73 kmEctor County 75 kmUpton County 97 kmMidland County 113 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
10:28 pm CST on 12 January 2024 ()
Where
31 km (19 mi) south-southwest of Monahans, TX · earthquakes near Monahans
Texas today
every earthquake in Texas in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.9 (ml)
Depth
3.6 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Ward County, 18 km NNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 970 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 67 km (42 mi) from the epicentre. In Monahans, 31 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: Monahans 31 km, intensity III · Pecos 41 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 680 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 22,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 16,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 1.4× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.9 about 680 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 31.3560, -103.0660. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Ward County, TX 18 km (11 mi) NNW earthquakes near Ward County
Winkler County, TX 53 km (33 mi) N earthquakes near Winkler County
Crane County, TX 55 km (34 mi) E earthquakes near Crane County
Reeves County, TX 62 km (38 mi) W earthquakes near Reeves County
Loving County, TX 72 km (45 mi) NW earthquakes near Loving County
Pecos County, TX 73 km (45 mi) SSE earthquakes near Pecos 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. 1.7 17 km SE of Lindsay, Texas
  2. 1.6 2 km NNE of Lindsay, Texas
  3. 1.7 33 km SW of Coyanosa, Texas
  4. 2.1 22 km WSW of Coyanosa, Texas
  5. 1.9 2 km NNE of Lindsay, Texas
  6. 1.8 20 km SSE of Lindsay, Texas
  7. 1.7 25 km SW of Coyanosa, Texas
  8. 2.3 24 km SW of Coyanosa, Texas
  9. 1.5 16 km ESE of Lindsay, Texas
  10. 1.5 11 km S of Lindsay, Texas
  11. 1.6 15 km N of Coyanosa, Texas
  12. 1.8 2 km W of Pecos, Texas
  13. 1.7 6 km WNW of Pecos, Texas
  14. 1.9 24 km WSW of Coyanosa, Texas
  15. 1.7 20 km S of Lindsay, 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.