Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist
M 4.0mwr
Earthquake near Atoka, NM
No earthquake was likely felt in Atoka in the 24 hours to 1:26 am MST (08:26 UTC). The last one was M 2.8, 59 km (36 mi) S, at 4:44 am MST on 1 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Atoka
This page: a magnitude 4.0 earthquake was recorded 16 km (10 mi) south of Atoka, NM, at 2:47 am MST on 23 February 2024 (09:47 UTC), 4.9 km deep. 83 people have reported feeling it to USGS.
USGS: 15 km S of Atoka, New Mexico
- When
- 2:47 am MST on 23 February 2024 ()
- Where
- 16 km (10 mi) south of Atoka, NM · earthquakes near Atoka
- Magnitude
- M 4.0 (mwr)
- Depth
- 4.9 km below the surface
- Felt
- 83 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
- Measured shaking
- intensity IV (ShakeMap)
- USGS impact alert
- green
- Nearest
- Eddy County, 22 km SSE
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 219 days ago
Earthquake alerts for Atoka, NM
Get a notification in this browser when USGS records an earthquake near Atoka, NM. No account or email needed.
Alerts are on for .
Not a warning. An alert comes after USGS publishes a quake, usually minutes after the shaking. For early warning use ShakeAlert, through your phone's Wireless Emergency Alerts or the MyShake app.
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 461 km (286 mi) from the epicentre. In Atoka, 16 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: Atoka 16 km, intensity IV · Artesia 24 km, intensity IV · Carlsbad 29 km, intensity IV · Loving 49 km, intensity III. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.
How big was it?
This earthquake released about 15 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 5.0 would have released about 32 times as much.
- Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 11,000× the energy of this one
- Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 500× the energy of this one
- Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 350× the energy of this one
- This earthquake M 4.0 about 15 tons of TNT
- Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 32× 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.
Where
Epicentre 32.6309, -104.4155. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby places
| Place | Distance | Direction from the epicentre | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eddy County, NM | 22 km (14 mi) | SSE | earthquakes near Eddy County |
| Chaves County, NM | 81 km (51 mi) | N | earthquakes near Chaves County |
| Lea County, NM | 96 km (59 mi) | ENE | earthquakes near Lea County |
| Loving County, TX | 119 km (74 mi) | SE | earthquakes near Loving 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.
- 2.6 34 km SSE of Hope, New Mexico
- 3.3 31 km SSE of Hope, New Mexico
- 2.9 27 km SW of Atoka, New Mexico
- 3.5 34 km SSE of Hope, New Mexico
- 2.6 17 km NW of Whites City, New Mexico
- 2.8 16 km NNW of Whites City, New Mexico
- 2.7 18 km NW of Whites City, New Mexico
- 2.4 16 km NW of Whites City, New Mexico
- 3.5 24 km NW of Whites City, New Mexico
- 3.4 30 km NW of Whites City, New Mexico
- 2.5 23 km WNW of Whites City, New Mexico
- 2.8 38 km SSE of Hope, New Mexico
- 2.5 12 km NW of Whites City, New Mexico
- 2.6 31 km WNW of Whites City, New Mexico
- 2.8 7 km ESE of Livingston Wheeler, 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
- The official USGS event page — the source of record for every value above
- Did you feel it? Report it to USGS — reports go to USGS, not to us
- ShakeMap for this event, when USGS has produced one
QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.