QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.9ml

Earthquake near Belen, NM

USGS: 4 km S of Abeytas, New Mexico

77 km (48 mi) S of Albuquerque, NM

11:19 am MDT, Apr 3, 2022 · · 7.2 km deep · released about 680 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Belen Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Valencia County 32 kmSocorro County 50 kmBernalillo County 71 kmTorrance County 85 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
11:19 am MDT on 3 April 2022 ()
Where
26 km (16 mi) S of Belen, NM · earthquakes near Belen
Magnitude
M 2.9 (ml)
Depth
7.2 km below the surface
Felt
4 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Valencia County, 32 km N
Nearest mapped fault
Coyote Springs fault, 19 km from its surface trace — near is not the same as on
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1574 days ago

A magnitude 2.9 earthquake was recorded 26 km (16 mi) S of Belen, NM, at 11:19 am MDT on 3 April 2022 (17:19 UTC). 4 people have reported feeling it to USGS. This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Jarales, Rio Communities.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 680 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 22,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 16,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 1.4× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.9 about 680 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 34.4277, -106.8079. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Valencia County, NM 32 km (20 mi) N earthquakes near Valencia County
Socorro County, NM 50 km (31 mi) SSW earthquakes near Socorro County
Bernalillo County, NM 71 km (44 mi) N earthquakes near Bernalillo County
Torrance County, NM 85 km (53 mi) E earthquakes near Torrance County
Cibola County, NM 122 km (76 mi) WNW earthquakes near Cibola County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.6 15 km E of Socorro, New Mexico
  2. 2.7 2 km NNW of Las Nutrias, New Mexico
  3. 3.0 16 km WSW of Pueblitos, New Mexico
  4. 3.0 15 km WSW of Pueblitos, New Mexico
  5. 2.8 15 km W of Pueblitos, New Mexico
  6. 3.2 16 km ESE of Magdalena, New Mexico
  7. 2.5 13 km W of Socorro, New Mexico
  8. 2.6 10 km W of Socorro, New Mexico
  9. 2.6 7 km WNW of Veguita, New Mexico
  10. 3.6 4 km WNW of Abeytas, New Mexico
  11. 2.6 4 km WNW of Abeytas, New Mexico
  12. 2.7 14 km NW of Abeytas, New Mexico
  13. 3.7 6 km WNW of Veguita, New Mexico
  14. 3.2 6 km NW of Abeytas, New Mexico
  15. 2.9 3 km NNE of Abeytas, 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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