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M3.6 Earthquake near Boca de Yuma, Dominican Republic — 31 December 2024

A minor earthquake of magnitude 3.6 was recorded near Boca de Yuma, Dominican Republic on , with an epicentre 36 km southeast of Boca de Yuma, at a focal depth of 83.0 km. It ranked as the 11th strongest of 20 earthquakes recorded in the Dominican Republic in the preceding 30 days.

3.6 Minor

Time (UTC): 2024-12-31 06:57:10

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 3.6 (minor)

Focal depth: 83.0 km (intermediate)

Epicentre: 18.1425, -68.3616

Location: 36 km SE of Boca de Yuma, Dominican Republic

Country: Dominican Republic

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 3.6 earthquake radiates roughly 3.5 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 197, 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 →

When it happened locally

That is about 02:23 local solar time at the epicentre, in the early hours of the morning.

This event was deeper than 71% of the 563 earthquakes recorded in the Dominican Republic in our catalogue and stronger than 51% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 18.1425, -68.3616 — 36 km southeast of Boca de Yuma. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 3.4 earthquake 25 km southwest of here on 01 September 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Aguadilla (122 km east-northeast), Cabo Rojo (129 km east), Boquerón (132 km east) and Boca Chica (141 km west-northwest).

Why the 83 km depth matters

At 83 km this was an intermediate-depth earthquake. Energy from events at this depth spreads out before it reaches the surface, which usually means weaker shaking near the epicentre than a shallow quake of the same magnitude, but shaking felt across a wider area.

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 intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow 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 M3.6 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

26 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 3.6.

90 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.9 event near Punta Cana on 25 February 2025. This M3.6 event released about 3,020 times less energy than that event.

34 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 24 of them in the past 30 days.

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

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the December 2024 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in the Dominican Republic during December 2024. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other recent earthquakes in the Dominican Republic

All recorded earthquakes in the Dominican Republic →

Other magnitude 3 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 3 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Boca de Yuma?

It measured magnitude 3.6 — a minor earthquake. A magnitude 3.6 earthquake radiates roughly 3.5 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Boca de Yuma?

The focus was 83 km below the surface, which counts as intermediate.

Was the Boca de Yuma earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 3.6 and a focal depth of 83 km, the depth spreads the energy out, so shaking is weaker overhead but reaches further.

When did the earthquake near Boca de Yuma happen?

31 December 2024 at 06:57 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.

Have there been aftershocks?

26 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 3.6.

How often do earthquakes happen near Boca de Yuma?

90 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.9 event near Punta Cana on 25 February 2025. This M3.6 event released about 3,020 times less energy than that event.