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M3.0 Earthquake near Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands — 17 May 2025

A minor earthquake of magnitude 3.0 was recorded near Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands on , with an epicentre 65 km northeast of Cruz Bay, at a focal depth of 47.4 km. It ranked as the 32nd strongest of 37 earthquakes recorded in the U.S. Virgin Islands in the preceding 30 days.

3.0 Minor

Time (UTC): 2025-05-17 12:19:32

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 3.0 (minor)

Focal depth: 47.4 km (shallow)

Epicentre: 18.7050, -64.3101

Location: 65 km NE of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands

Country: U.S. Virgin Islands

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked

Review status: Reviewed

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Minor earthquakes in this range are felt by people close to the epicentre as a brief jolt or rattle, but they very rarely cause any damage.

A magnitude 3.0 earthquake radiates roughly 477 kg of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 138, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.

What the magnitude scale actually measures →

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 18.7050, -64.3101 — 65 km northeast of Cruz Bay. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 3.4 earthquake 17 km northwest of here on 20 August 2026.

Why the 47 km depth matters

At 47 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.

This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size may be noticed locally, especially close to the epicentre. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.

Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →

What does the tsunami information flag mean?

The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M3.0 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.

How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →

Aftershocks and local seismic history

4 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 3.7.

74 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.6 event near Cruz Bay on 04 May 2025. This M3.0 event released about 8,810 times less energy than that event.

How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the May 2025 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in the U.S. Virgin Islands during May 2025. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other recent earthquakes in the U.S. Virgin Islands

All recorded earthquakes in the U.S. Virgin Islands →

Other magnitude 3 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 3 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong is a magnitude 3.0 earthquake?

Minor earthquakes in this range are felt by people close to the epicentre as a brief jolt or rattle, but they very rarely cause any damage. A magnitude 3.0 earthquake radiates roughly 477 kg of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Cruz Bay?

At 47 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.

Was the M3.0 earthquake near Cruz Bay felt?

This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size may be noticed locally, especially close to the epicentre. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.

What does the USGS tsunami field mean for this event?

The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M3.0 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.

Have there been aftershocks?

4 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 3.7.

How often do earthquakes happen near Cruz Bay?

74 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.6 event near Cruz Bay on 04 May 2025. This M3.0 event released about 8,810 times less energy than that event.