QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 4.8ml

Earthquake near Midland, TX

No earthquake was likely felt in Midland in the 24 hours to 2:15 pm CST (20:15 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 4.8 earthquake was recorded 44 km (27 mi) north-northeast of Midland, TX, at 1:33 pm CST on 28 February 2025 (19:33 UTC), 6.8 km deep. 964 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 26 km SW of Ackerly, Texas

42 km (26 mi) NNE of Midland, TX

1:33 pm CST, Feb 28, 2025 · · 6.8 km deep · released about 240 tons of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Martin County 7 kmDawson County 41 kmHoward County 46 kmBorden County 61 kmMidland County 62 kmAndrews County 67 kmGlasscock County 68 kmGaines County 78 kmEctor County 81 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
1:33 pm CST on 28 February 2025 ()
Where
44 km (27 mi) north-northeast of Midland, TX · earthquakes near Midland
Texas today
every earthquake in Texas in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 4.8 (ml)
Depth
6.8 km below the surface
Felt
964 reports · strongest reported intensity VI
Measured shaking
intensity V (ShakeMap)
USGS impact alert
green
Nearest
Martin County, 7 km SSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 117 days ago

This was a light earthquake. It is usually felt clearly nearby and can rattle windows and dishes, but damage is uncommon.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 702 km (436 mi) from the epicentre. In Midland, 44 km away, the estimate is intensity IV (light). 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: Stanton 30 km, intensity V · Lamesa 41 km, intensity IV · Midland 44 km, intensity IV · Big Spring 44 km, intensity IV. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 240 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 5.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 710× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 32× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 22× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 4.8 about 240 tons of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 500× more

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 4 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 32.3700, -101.9260. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Martin County, TX 7 km (5 mi) SSW earthquakes near Martin County
Dawson County, TX 41 km (26 mi) N earthquakes near Dawson County
Howard County, TX 46 km (29 mi) E earthquakes near Howard County
Borden County, TX 61 km (38 mi) NE earthquakes near Borden County
Midland County, TX 62 km (39 mi) S earthquakes near Midland County
Andrews County, TX 67 km (42 mi) W earthquakes near Andrews 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. 1.6 14 km NNW of Stanton, Texas
  2. 1.7 19 km NW of Midland, Texas
  3. 3.1 19 km NW of Midland, Texas
  4. 2.7 35 km SSW of Los Ybanez, Texas
  5. 2.4 36 km SSW of Los Ybanez, Texas
  6. 1.6 39 km ENE of McKinney Acres, Texas
  7. 2.2 4 km N of Stanton, Texas
  8. 1.5 31 km WSW of Ackerly, Texas
  9. 1.7 15 km NW of Stanton, Texas
  10. 2.8 3 km N of Stanton, Texas
  11. 1.7 39 km E of McKinney Acres, Texas
  12. 1.8 17 km NW of Midland, Texas
  13. 2.1 31 km WSW of Ackerly, Texas
  14. 2.3 9 km SSW of Big Spring, Texas
  15. 1.8 14 km WSW 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.