M5.2 Earthquake near Range Hill, Texas — December 16, 2022
2022-12-16 23:35:27 UTC (2022-12-16) · approx. 4:35 PM UTC-7 local
Felt by 2,405 people across a wide area. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.4 (very strong).
On December 16, 2022 at 23:35 UTC, a magnitude 5.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck near Range Hill, Texas, at a depth of 8.2 km and coordinates 32.1910°, -102.1410°. The earthquake was reported felt by 2,405 peopleacross a wide area, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 6.4 (very 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 39 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 600, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Gardendale (population 1,574).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 951 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.3 km — 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
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 6.4 (very strong), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Strong shaking felt by everyone. Heavy furniture may move. Books fall from shelves. Plaster and chimneys may crack. Damage is generally slight in well-built structures.
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 2,405 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 | 496,748 |
| MMI 4 | light | 682,388 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 14,838 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 112 |
Earthquake Details
-102.1410°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.2 earthquake near Range Hill, Texas?
The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that struck near Range Hill, Texas on December 16, 2022 at 23:35 UTC had a depth of 8.2 km. It was felt by 2,405 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 6.4 (very strong). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 32.1910°, -102.1410°, which is near Range Hill, Texas. The nearest populated place is Gardendale (population 1,574). View all earthquakes in Texas.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.2 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks 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 5.2 event is within one magnitude unit of that historical record.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: tx2022yplg). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, December 16, 2022). M5.2 Earthquake near Range Hill, Texas — December 16, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/tx2022yplg/