M3.2 Earthquake 9 km SSE of Gardendale, Texas — October 27, 2021
2021-10-27 21:04:23 UTC (2021-10-27) · approx. 2:04 PM UTC-7 local
Felt by 40 people across nearby locations.
On October 27, 2021 at 21:04 UTC, a magnitude 3.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 9 km SSE of Gardendale, Texas, at a depth of 7.8 km and coordinates 31.9427°, -102.3283°. This earthquake was detected by 21 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 172, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 951 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 97 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Texas, a region characterized by a mix of natural intraplate seismicity and induced events in the Permian Basin linked to wastewater disposal. View all earthquakes in Texas.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 40 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
Earthquake Details
-102.3283°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.2 earthquake near Gardendale, Texas?
The magnitude 3.2 earthquake that struck 9 km SSE of Gardendale, Texas on October 27, 2021 at 21:04 UTC had a depth of 7.8 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 31.9427°, -102.3283°, which is 9 km SSE of Gardendale, Texas. View all earthquakes in Texas.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.2 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Has Texas had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Texas was the M5.8 Valentine earthquake of August 16, 1931. Today's magnitude 3.2 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: tx2021vbxd). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, October 27, 2021). M3.2 Earthquake 9 km SSE of Gardendale, Texas — October 27, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/tx2021vbxd/