QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1ml

Earthquake near Jal, NM

No earthquake was likely felt in Jal in the 24 hours to 5:30 am MST (12:30 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 2.1 earthquake was recorded 26 km (16 mi) southwest of Jal, NM, at 9:06 am MST on 7 February 2026 (16:06 UTC), 6.5 km deep.

USGS: 25 km SW of Jal, New Mexico

98 km (61 mi) W of Odessa, TX

9:06 am MST, Feb 7, 2026 · · 6.5 km deep · released about 43 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Loving County 20 kmWinkler County 33 kmWard County 55 kmReeves County 77 kmEctor County 80 kmAndrews County 81 kmLea County 95 kmCrane County 102 kmEddy County 104 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
9:06 am MST on 7 February 2026 ()
Where
26 km (16 mi) southwest of Jal, NM · earthquakes near Jal
Magnitude
M 2.1 (ml)
Depth
6.5 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Loving County, 20 km WSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 275 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 28 km (17 mi) from the epicentre. In Jal, 26 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: Jal 26 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 43 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 350,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 250,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 22× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 43 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 in our catalogue was M 4.0 on 2021-07-19 — about 710 times the energy of this one.

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 31.9440, -103.3800. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Loving County, TX 20 km (13 mi) WSW earthquakes near Loving County
Winkler County, TX 33 km (21 mi) ESE earthquakes near Winkler County
Ward County, TX 55 km (34 mi) SSE earthquakes near Ward County
Reeves County, TX 77 km (48 mi) SSW earthquakes near Reeves County
Ector County, TX 80 km (49 mi) E earthquakes near Ector County
Andrews County, TX 81 km (50 mi) ENE earthquakes near Andrews County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.8 22 km WNW of Mentone, Texas
  2. 1.5 23 km WNW of Mentone, Texas
  3. 1.8 39 km NNW of Mentone, Texas
  4. 1.7 24 km NNE of Mentone, Texas
  5. 1.6 33 km SE of Malaga, New Mexico
  6. 2.3 33 km SE of Malaga, New Mexico
  7. 1.7 33 km SE of Malaga, New Mexico
  8. 1.5 33 km SE of Malaga, New Mexico
  9. 1.8 33 km SE of Malaga, New Mexico
  10. 1.6 33 km SE of Malaga, New Mexico
  11. 2.4 33 km SE of Malaga, New Mexico
  12. 2.8 33 km SE of Malaga, New Mexico
  13. 1.6 33 km SE of Malaga, New Mexico
  14. 2.1 33 km SE of Malaga, New Mexico
  15. 2.7 33 km SE of Malaga, 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

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.