QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.4mb_lg

Earthquake near Gardendale, TX

Yes: an earthquake was likely felt in Gardendale in the last 24 hours. M 3.4, 198 km (123 mi) W of Gardendale, at 3:25 pm CST on 13 November 2026 (21:25 UTC); the estimated shaking in Gardendale was intensity II (weak). Every earthquake near Gardendale

This page: a magnitude 2.4 earthquake was recorded 12 km (7 mi) southeast of Gardendale, TX, at 1:05 pm CST on 28 January 2021 (19:05 UTC), 3.3 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 11 km SE of Gardendale, Texas

8 km (5 mi) NNE of Odessa, TX

1:05 pm CST, Jan 28, 2021 · · 3.3 km deep · released about 120 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Ector County 25 kmMidland County 31 kmMartin County 52 kmAndrews County 52 kmCrane County 60 kmUpton County 70 kmWinkler County 72 kmGlasscock County 74 kmWard County 90 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
1:05 pm CST on 28 January 2021 ()
Where
12 km (7 mi) southeast of Gardendale, TX · earthquakes near Gardendale
Texas today
every earthquake in Texas in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.4 (mb_lg)
Depth
3.3 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Ector County, 25 km WSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2041 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 42 km (26 mi) from the epicentre. In Gardendale, 12 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: Gardendale 12 km, intensity III · Odessa 12 km, intensity III · Midland 22 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 120 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.4 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 130,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 89,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 7.9× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.4 about 120 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 31.9411, -102.2986. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Ector County, TX 25 km (15 mi) WSW earthquakes near Ector County
Midland County, TX 31 km (19 mi) ESE earthquakes near Midland County
Martin County, TX 52 km (32 mi) NE earthquakes near Martin County
Andrews County, TX 52 km (33 mi) NW earthquakes near Andrews County
Crane County, TX 60 km (37 mi) SSW earthquakes near Crane County
Upton County, TX 70 km (43 mi) SSE earthquakes near Upton County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.8 12 km NNW of Midland, Texas
  2. 2.4 15 km NNW of Midland, Texas
  3. 1.6 6 km SE of Gardendale, Texas
  4. 1.9 10 km ENE of Gardendale, Texas
  5. 2.3 6 km SE of Gardendale, Texas
  6. 1.6 5 km SE of Gardendale, Texas
  7. 2.4 15 km NNW of Midland, Texas
  8. 1.5 15 km NNW of Midland, Texas
  9. 2.2 15 km NNW of Midland, Texas
  10. 1.8 9 km SSE of Gardendale, Texas
  11. 1.9 14 km NNW of Midland, Texas
  12. 1.8 14 km NNW of Midland, Texas
  13. 2.6 15 km NNW of Midland, Texas
  14. 2.3 13 km NNW of Midland, Texas
  15. 1.6 13 km NNW of Midland, 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.