3.4

M3.4 Earthquake 10 km S of Guánica, Puerto Rico — September 21, 2020

2020-09-21 22:03:18 UTC (2020-09-21) · approx. 6:03 PM UTC-4 local

MagnitudeM3.4(md)
Time22:03 UTC≈ 6:03 PM UTC-4
Depth11.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates17.878°, -66.893°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On September 21, 2020 at 22:03 UTC, a magnitude 3.4 shallow crustal earthquake struck 10 km S of Guánica, Puerto Rico, at a depth of 11.0 km and coordinates 17.8780°, -66.8926°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1.9 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 134 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 17.88°, -66.89°

ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity

Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.

USGS ShakeMap intensity contours for the M3.4 earthquake near 10 km S of Guánica, Puerto Rico

Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
3.4 md
Depth
11.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
17.8780°N
-66.8926°E
Intensity (MMI)
2.3
weak

Technical Information

Event ID
pr2020265014
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
178
Stations Used
22
Azimuthal Gap
231.0°
Min Station Distance
0.098°
RMS Residual
0.14 sec
Last Updated
2020-11-28 21:32:02 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 3.4 earthquake near Guánica, Puerto Rico?

The magnitude 3.4 earthquake that struck 10 km S of Guánica, Puerto Rico on September 21, 2020 at 22:03 UTC had a depth of 11.0 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.4 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Understanding This Data

Magnitude 3.4 earthquakes are typically only recorded by instruments.

Learn more about magnitude →

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: pr2020265014). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, September 21, 2020). M3.4 Earthquake 10 km S of Guánica, Puerto Rico — September 21, 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2020 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/pr2020265014/