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Note:This page contains AI-generated content for informational and entertainment purposes only. It may contain inaccuracies. Raw event data is from USGS and EMSC. All statistics, lists, and derived information are generated by this site. Full disclaimerFound an error?
Location:
4 km S of Tallaboa, Puerto Rico
Period:
1 May 2020 14:19:52 - 4 May 2020 08:55:56 (2 days 18 hours 36 minutes)
Volcanoes in 100km radius:
None
Earthquakes:
36
20 swarms found nearby.
2018
S20181215.1(24.3km)
14 Dec
4 days 6 hours
109 earthquakes
2019
28 Dec
244 days 6 hours
9147 earthquakes
2020
S20200107.1(10.6km)
7 Jan
1 day 21 hours
53 earthquakes
S20201007.2(17.5km)
6 Oct
22 days 9 hours
229 earthquakes
17 Nov
35 days 20 hours
447 earthquakes
23 Dec
46 days 11 hours
2842 earthquakes
2021
S20210108.1(14.8km)
7 Jan
13 days 20 hours
148 earthquakes
S20210130.1(12.7km)
29 Jan
2 days 1 hours
29 earthquakes
24 Jun
6 days 15 hours
127 earthquakes
S20210718.1(16.1km)
17 Jul
3 days 1 hours
37 earthquakes
2022
1 Feb
37 days 20 hours
630 earthquakes
21 Mar
19 days 5 hours
207 earthquakes
23 Apr
17 days 11 hours
189 earthquakes
5 Aug
13 days 6 hours
262 earthquakes
2023
14 Mar
6 days 9 hours
92 earthquakes
8 Apr
10 days 15 hours
189 earthquakes
30 Sep
3 days 22 hours
63 earthquakes
23 Oct
1 day 13 hours
25 earthquakes
2025
S20250312.1(12.9km)
12 Mar
4 days 6 hours
74 earthquakes
S20250320.3(14.8km)
20 Mar
5 days 23 hours
70 earthquakes
AI-generated article — for informational and entertainment purposes only. May contain inaccuracies. Full disclaimerFound an error?

Seismic Swarm S20200502.3 Near Tallaboa, Puerto Rico: Event Analysis and Regional Context

Seismic swarm S20200502.3 was recorded south of Tallaboa in Puerto Rico, beginning at 14:19 on 1 May 2020 and concluding at 08:55 on 4 May 2020. Over 66 hours and 36 minutes, the sequence comprised 36 earthquakes. The events clustered tightly in both space and time, with epicenters located approximately 4 km south of Tallaboa at depths ranging from 4 km to 17 km.

The swarm featured a mainshock of magnitude 5.4 at 11:13 on 2 May 2020, occurring at a depth of 9 km. This event was followed within minutes by several aftershocks, including magnitudes 3.5, 4.6, and 3.3. Subsequent activity included multiple events between magnitudes 2.1 and 3.9 throughout 2 May, with depths predominantly between 6 km and 10 km. On 3 May, recorded magnitudes remained below 3.6, and depths extended slightly deeper on average. The final event, magnitude 2.3 at 8 km depth, marked the swarm's end on 4 May.

This sequence illustrates typical swarm characteristics: a rapid onset, high event rate over a short period, and absence of a single dominant aftershock decay pattern. The spatial concentration near the south coast aligns with known zones of crustal deformation in southern Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico occupies a tectonically active position at the boundary between the North American and Caribbean plates. The island experiences seismicity driven by oblique convergence, including subduction along the Puerto Rico Trench to the north and transpressional faulting associated with the Muertos Trough and Great Southern Puerto Rico Fault Zone to the south. Historical records document recurrent moderate earthquakes, with the 2020 sequence occurring within a region that has produced multiple swarms since 2000. Only three such swarms have been identified in this period, occurring in 2018, 2019, and 2020.

The 2020 activity reflects ongoing strain accumulation and release along local fault systems. Depths recorded in the swarm are consistent with shallow crustal faulting typical of the southern Puerto Rico seismic belt. Such events contribute to the broader understanding of episodic seismic release in the northeastern Caribbean, where both plate-boundary and intraplate sources can generate felt shaking.

References

USGS Earthquake Catalog
Puerto Rico Seismic Network Annual Reports
Caribbean Tectonic Framework Studies (USGS Professional Papers)