QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.6ml

Earthquake near Midland, TX

No earthquake was likely felt in Midland in the 24 hours to 6:39 am CST (12:39 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 2.6 earthquake was recorded 45 km (28 mi) north of Midland, TX, at 10:11 pm CDT on 7 August 2024 (03:11 UTC), 6.9 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 34 km WSW of Ackerly, Texas

42 km (26 mi) N of Midland, TX

10:11 pm CDT, Aug 7, 2024 · · 6.9 km deep · released about 240 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Martin County 13 kmDawson County 39 kmAndrews County 56 kmHoward County 59 kmMidland County 66 kmGaines County 66 kmBorden County 69 kmEctor County 75 kmGlasscock County 78 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
10:11 pm CDT on 7 August 2024 ()
Where
45 km (28 mi) north of Midland, TX · earthquakes near Midland
Texas today
every earthquake in Texas in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.6 (ml)
Depth
6.9 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Martin County, 13 km SE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 749 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 51 km (32 mi) from the epicentre. In Midland, 45 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.

Likely felt in: Lamesa 38 km, intensity II · Stanton 39 km, intensity II · Midland 45 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 240 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 63,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 45,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 4× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.6 about 240 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 5.2 on 2022-12-16 — about 7,900 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 32.4030, -102.0530. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Martin County, TX 13 km (8 mi) SE earthquakes near Martin County
Dawson County, TX 39 km (24 mi) NNE earthquakes near Dawson County
Andrews County, TX 56 km (35 mi) W earthquakes near Andrews County
Howard County, TX 59 km (37 mi) E earthquakes near Howard County
Midland County, TX 66 km (41 mi) S earthquakes near Midland 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

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

  1. 2.9 33 km WSW of Ackerly, Texas
  2. 1.6 34 km WSW of Ackerly, Texas
  3. 1.7 35 km WSW of Ackerly, Texas
  4. 2.0 33 km WSW of Ackerly, Texas
  5. 1.7 33 km WSW of Ackerly, Texas
  6. 1.6 35 km WSW of Ackerly, Texas
  7. 1.8 33 km WSW of Ackerly, Texas
  8. 2.9 34 km WSW of Ackerly, Texas
  9. 5.1 2024 North of Tarzan, Texas Earthquake
  10. 1.5 8 km NW of Stanton, Texas
  11. 1.9 21 km SSW of Ackerly, Texas
  12. 1.7 35 km WSW of Ackerly, Texas
  13. 2.1 34 km WSW of Ackerly, Texas
  14. 2.3 34 km WSW of Ackerly, Texas
  15. 1.9 30 km SSW of Los Ybanez, 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.