M4.8 Earthquake 6 km SE of Maria Antonia, Puerto Rico — December 24, 2020
2020-12-24 16:56:39 UTC (2020-12-24) · approx. 12:56 PM UTC-4 local
Felt by 235 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 5.5 (strong).
On December 24, 2020 at 16:56 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 6 km SE of Maria Antonia, Puerto Rico, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 17.9331°, -66.8451°. The earthquake was reported felt by 235 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 5.5 (strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 19 seismic stations with moderate location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 500, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Indios (population 1,739).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.2 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Puerto Rico, a region characterized by the Puerto Rico Trench oblique subduction zone and the Muertos Trough, with complex Caribbean–North American plate interactions. The nearest mapped fault system is the Puerto Rico Trench. View all earthquakes in Puerto Rico.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 5.5 (strong), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Moderate shaking that everyone in the area would feel. Sleeping people are awakened. Dishes and windows may break. Unstable objects may be knocked over.
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.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 235 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 1,547,497 |
| MMI 4 | light | 610,349 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 34,000 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 33 |
Earthquake Details
-66.8451°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake near Maria Antonia, Puerto Rico?
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck 6 km SE of Maria Antonia, Puerto Rico on December 24, 2020 at 16:56 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. It was felt by 235 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 5.5 (strong). For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 17.9331°, -66.8451°, which is 6 km SE of Maria Antonia, Puerto Rico. The nearest populated place is Indios (population 1,739). View all earthquakes in Puerto Rico.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.8 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Has Puerto Rico had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Puerto Rico was the M7.3 offshore earthquake of October 11, 1918. Today's magnitude 4.8 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: pr2020359052). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, December 24, 2020). M4.8 Earthquake 6 km SE of Maria Antonia, Puerto Rico — December 24, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/pr2020359052/