M3.8 Earthquake 13 km SSW of Clayton, New Mexico — March 17, 2022
2022-03-17 20:00:24 UTC (2022-03-17) · approx. 1:00 PM UTC-7 local
Felt by 22 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.6 (moderate).
On March 17, 2022 at 20:00 UTC, a magnitude 3.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 13 km SSW of Clayton, New Mexico, at a depth of 5.0 km and coordinates 36.3449°, -103.2532°. The earthquake was reported felt by 22 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 4.6 (moderate).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 7.6 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 252 m — 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
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 22 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
-103.2532°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.8 earthquake near Clayton, New Mexico?
The magnitude 3.8 earthquake that struck 13 km SSW of Clayton, New Mexico on March 17, 2022 at 20:00 UTC had a depth of 5.0 km. It was felt by 22 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 4.6 (moderate). For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 36.3449°, -103.2532°, which is 13 km SSW of Clayton, New Mexico. View all earthquakes in New Mexico.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.8 earthquakes can continue for several days 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 3.8 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000h5ip). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, March 17, 2022). M3.8 Earthquake 13 km SSW of Clayton, New Mexico — March 17, 2022. Retrieved May 27, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000h5ip/