M3.4 Earthquake 15 km NE of Amarillo, Texas — August 14, 2023
2023-08-14 16:45:05 UTC (2023-08-14) · approx. 9:45 AM UTC-7 local
Felt by 17 people across nearby locations.
On August 14, 2023 at 16:45 UTC, a magnitude 3.4 shallow crustal earthquake struck 15 km NE of Amarillo, Texas, at a depth of 6.8 km and coordinates 35.3146°, -101.7018°. This earthquake was detected by 14 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 184, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1.9 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 134 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 17 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
-101.7018°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.4 earthquake near Amarillo, Texas?
The magnitude 3.4 earthquake that struck 15 km NE of Amarillo, Texas on August 14, 2023 at 16:45 UTC had a depth of 6.8 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 35.3146°, -101.7018°, which is 15 km NE of Amarillo, Texas. View all earthquakes in Texas.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.4 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 3.4 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: tx2023pwji). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, August 14, 2023). M3.4 Earthquake 15 km NE of Amarillo, Texas — August 14, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/tx2023pwji/