M5.4 Earthquake 59 km S of Whites City, New Mexico — May 4, 2025
2025-05-04 01:47:05 UTC (2025-05-04) · approx. 6:47 PM UTC-7 local
Felt by 1,696 people across a wide area. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.7 (very strong).
On May 4, 2025 at 01:47 UTC, a magnitude 5.4 shallow crustal earthquake struck 59 km S of Whites City, New Mexico, at a depth of 7.5 km and coordinates 31.6470°, -104.4580°. The earthquake was reported felt by 1,696 peopleacross a wide area, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 6.7 (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 12 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 979, making it one of the more significant events of the week. The nearest populated place is La Huerta (population 1,246).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 2 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 3.2 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in New Mexico, a region characterized by the Rio Grande Rift, a continental rift zone where the crust is thinning and extending. The nearest mapped fault system is the Rio Grande Rift. View all earthquakes in New Mexico.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 6.7 (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 1,696 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 | 2,050,660 |
| MMI 4 | light | 838,214 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 9 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 4 |
Earthquake Details
-104.4580°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.4 earthquake near Whites City, New Mexico?
The magnitude 5.4 earthquake that struck 59 km S of Whites City, New Mexico on May 4, 2025 at 01:47 UTC had a depth of 7.5 km. It was felt by 1,696 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 6.7 (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 31.6470°, -104.4580°, which is 59 km S of Whites City, New Mexico. The nearest populated place is La Huerta (population 1,246). View all earthquakes in New Mexico.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.4 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Has New Mexico had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in New Mexico was the M6.2 Socorro earthquake of November 15, 1906. Today's magnitude 5.4 event is within one magnitude unit of that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: tx2025iqwk). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, May 4, 2025). M5.4 Earthquake 59 km S of Whites City, New Mexico — May 4, 2025. Retrieved May 4, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/tx2025iqwk/