3.5

M3.5 Earthquake 14 km NNW of Brenas, Puerto Rico — July 28, 2021

2021-07-28 18:41:43 UTC (2021-07-28) · approx. 2:41 PM UTC-4 local

MagnitudeM3.5(md)
Time18:41 UTC≈ 2:41 PM UTC-4
Depth109.0 kmintermediate depth
Coordinates18.592°, -66.392°
Felt by3DYFI responses· max MMI 1.8
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On July 28, 2021 at 18:41 UTC, a magnitude 3.5 intermediate depth earthquake struck 14 km NNW of Brenas, Puerto Rico, at a depth of 109.0 km and coordinates 18.5923°, -66.3920°. The earthquake was reported felt by 3 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 1.8 (weak).

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 3.1 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 167 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 18.59°, -66.39°

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 M3.5 earthquake near 14 km NNW of Brenas, Puerto Rico

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

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 3 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 M3.5 earthquake near 14 km NNW of Brenas, Puerto Rico

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
3.5 md
Depth
109.0 km
intermediate depth
Location
18.5923°N
-66.3920°E
Felt Reports
3
DYFI responses
Intensity (MMI)
1.8
weak
Community Intensity
2.2
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
pr2021209006
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
193
Stations Used
22
Azimuthal Gap
204.0°
Min Station Distance
0.179°
RMS Residual
0.35 sec
Last Updated
2022-08-09 06:16:10 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 3.5 earthquake near Brenas, Puerto Rico?

The magnitude 3.5 earthquake that struck 14 km NNW of Brenas, Puerto Rico on July 28, 2021 at 18:41 UTC had a depth of 109.0 km. It was felt by 3 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 1.8 (weak). 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 3.5 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Understanding This Data

Magnitude 3.5 earthquakes are typically only recorded by instruments.

Learn more about magnitude →

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: pr2021209006). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, July 28, 2021). M3.5 Earthquake 14 km NNW of Brenas, Puerto Rico — July 28, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/pr2021209006/