3.5

M3.5 Earthquake in the Puerto Rico regionFebruary 14, 2023

2023-02-14 21:51:34 UTC (2023-02-14) · approx. 5:51 PM UTC-4 local

MagnitudeM3.5(md)
Time21:51 UTC5:51 PM UTC-4
Depth12.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates17.941°, -66.959°
Felt by3DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On February 14, 2023 at 21:51 UTC, a magnitude 3.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck in the Puerto Rico region, at a depth of 12.0 km and coordinates 17.9410°, -66.9590°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 2.5 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 152 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 17.94°, -66.96°

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 Puerto Rico region

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
17.9410°N
-66.9590°E
Felt Reports
3
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
4.1
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
pr2023045001
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
188
Stations Used
22
Azimuthal Gap
193.0°
Min Station Distance
0.087°
RMS Residual
0.15 sec
Last Updated
2023-04-22 21:33:08 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 3.5 earthquake in the Puerto Rico region?

The magnitude 3.5 earthquake that struck in the Puerto Rico region on February 14, 2023 at 21:51 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: pr2023045001). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, February 14, 2023). M3.5 Earthquake in the Puerto Rico regionFebruary 14, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/pr2023045001/