QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.7ml

Earthquake near Jal, NM

No earthquake was likely felt in Jal in the 24 hours to 8:32 pm MST (03:32 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 1.7 earthquake was recorded 18 km (11 mi) northeast of Jal, NM, at 9:08 pm MST on 26 February 2026 (04:08 UTC), 4.5 km deep.

USGS: 17 km NE of Jal, New Mexico

92 km (57 mi) WNW of Midland, TX

9:08 pm MST, Feb 26, 2026 · · 4.5 km deep · released about 11 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Jal Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Andrews County 41 kmWinkler County 44 kmEctor County 63 kmLoving County 64 kmGaines County 70 kmLea County 71 kmWard County 80 kmMartin County 104 kmCrane County 105 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
9:08 pm MST on 26 February 2026 ()
Where
18 km (11 mi) northeast of Jal, NM · earthquakes near Jal
Magnitude
M 1.7 (ml)
Depth
4.5 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Andrews County, 41 km ENE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 258 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 12 km (7 mi) from the epicentre. In Jal, 18 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.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Eunice.

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.

Where

Epicentre 32.2280, -103.0610. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Andrews County, TX 41 km (25 mi) ENE earthquakes near Andrews County
Winkler County, TX 44 km (27 mi) S earthquakes near Winkler County
Ector County, TX 63 km (39 mi) SE earthquakes near Ector County
Loving County, TX 64 km (39 mi) SW earthquakes near Loving County
Gaines County, TX 70 km (44 mi) NE earthquakes near Gaines County
Lea County, NM 71 km (44 mi) NNW earthquakes near Lea County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.8 11 km SSW of Jal, New Mexico
  2. 2.0 12 km SSW of Jal, New Mexico
  3. 1.9 11 km SSW of Jal, New Mexico
  4. 1.9 13 km SSW of Jal, New Mexico
  5. 1.6 12 km SSW of Jal, New Mexico
  6. 2.5 12 km SSW of Jal, New Mexico
  7. 1.5 19 km NNW of Goldsmith, Texas
  8. 1.9 19 km NNW of Goldsmith, Texas
  9. 1.5 19 km NNW of Goldsmith, Texas
  10. 1.6 11 km SSW of Jal, New Mexico
  11. 1.8 11 km SSW of Jal, New Mexico
  12. 1.5 12 km SSW of Jal, New Mexico
  13. 1.5 17 km SW of Jal, New Mexico
  14. 1.9 11 km SSW of Jal, New Mexico
  15. 1.5 12 km SSW of Jal, 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

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