3.4

M3.4 Earthquake 105 km N of San Juan, Puerto Rico — December 23, 2020

2020-12-23 22:37:59 UTC (2020-12-23) · approx. 6:37 PM UTC-4 local

MagnitudeM3.4(md)
Time22:37 UTC≈ 6:37 PM UTC-4
Depth13.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates19.414°, -65.966°
Felt by2DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On December 23, 2020 at 22:37 UTC, a magnitude 3.4 shallow crustal earthquake struck 105 km N of San Juan, Puerto Rico, at a depth of 13.0 km and coordinates 19.4140°, -65.9658°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 2.1 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 140 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 19.41°, -65.97°

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 2 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M3.4 earthquake near 105 km N of San Juan, Puerto Rico

Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
3.4 md
Depth
13.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
19.4140°N
-65.9658°E
Felt Reports
2
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
5.3
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
pr2020358022
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
182
Stations Used
12
Azimuthal Gap
310.0°
Min Station Distance
1.093°
RMS Residual
0.22 sec
Last Updated
2021-03-06 23:18:04 UTC

Common Questions

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

The magnitude 3.4 earthquake that struck 105 km N of San Juan, Puerto Rico on December 23, 2020 at 22:37 UTC had a depth of 13.0 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: pr2020358022). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, December 23, 2020). M3.4 Earthquake 105 km N of San Juan, Puerto Rico — December 23, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/pr2020358022/