M3.1 Earthquake 9 km SE of Midland, Texas — December 18, 2022
2022-12-18 16:01:40 UTC (2022-12-18) · approx. 9:01 AM UTC-7 local
Felt by 13 people across nearby locations.
On December 18, 2022 at 16:01 UTC, a magnitude 3.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck 9 km SE of Midland, Texas, at a depth of 10.4 km and coordinates 31.9327°, -102.0121°. This earthquake was detected by 14 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 153, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 674 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 83 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 13 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
-102.0121°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.1 earthquake near Midland, Texas?
The magnitude 3.1 earthquake that struck 9 km SE of Midland, Texas on December 18, 2022 at 16:01 UTC had a depth of 10.4 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 31.9327°, -102.0121°, which is 9 km SE of Midland, Texas. View all earthquakes in Texas.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.1 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 3.1 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: tx2022ysnh). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, December 18, 2022). M3.1 Earthquake 9 km SE of Midland, Texas — December 18, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/tx2022ysnh/