M4.0 Earthquake 8 km SSE of San Mateo, New Mexico — August 22, 2026
2026-08-22 10:19:13 UTC (2026-08-22) · approx. 3:19 AM UTC-7 local
Felt by 39 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.1 (moderate).
On August 22, 2026 at 10:19 UTC, a magnitude 4.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 8 km SSE of San Mateo, New Mexico, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 35.2655°, -107.5958°. The earthquake was reported felt by 39 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 4.1 (moderate). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 26 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 260, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Grants (population 9,208).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 15 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 347 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
Nearest Populated Places
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 39 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 | 27,052 |
| MMI 4 | light | 326 |
Earthquake Details
-107.5958°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.0 earthquake near San Mateo, New Mexico?
The magnitude 4.0 earthquake that struck 8 km SSE of San Mateo, New Mexico on August 22, 2026 at 10:19 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. It was felt by 39 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 4.1 (moderate). For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 35.2655°, -107.5958°, which is 8 km SSE of San Mateo, New Mexico. The nearest populated place is Grants (population 9,208). View all earthquakes in New Mexico.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.0 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 4.0 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000tms8). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, August 22, 2026). M4.0 Earthquake 8 km SSE of San Mateo, New Mexico — August 22, 2026. Retrieved September 10, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000tms8/