3.5

M3.5 Earthquake 13 km SE of Esperanza, Puerto RicoOctober 8, 2021

2021-10-08 20:22:31 UTC (2021-10-08) · approx. 4:22 PM UTC-4 local

MagnitudeM3.5(md)
Time20:22 UTC4:22 PM UTC-4
Depth12.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates18.016°, -65.382°
Felt by4DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On October 8, 2021 at 20:22 UTC, a magnitude 3.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 13 km SE of Esperanza, Puerto Rico, at a depth of 12.0 km and coordinates 18.0158°, -65.3815°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 3.2 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 170 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 18.02°, -65.38°

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 4 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 13 km SE of Esperanza, 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
12.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
18.0158°N
-65.3815°E
Felt Reports
4
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
2.0
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
pr2021281006
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
195
Stations Used
20
Azimuthal Gap
249.0°
Min Station Distance
0.189°
RMS Residual
0.19 sec
Last Updated
2021-12-18 19:58:39 UTC

Common Questions

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

The magnitude 3.5 earthquake that struck 13 km SE of Esperanza, Puerto Rico on October 8, 2021 at 20:22 UTC had a depth of 12.0 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 3.5 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: pr2021281006). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, October 8, 2021). M3.5 Earthquake 13 km SE of Esperanza, Puerto RicoOctober 8, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/pr2021281006/