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M 3.1 Earthquake 57 km SSE of Whites City, New Mexico

Source: USGS · Southern New Mexico

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake was recorded by USGS near 57 km SSE of Whites City. On the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program scale, M3.1 is classified "Minor". Among the 1,782 earthquake reports Areazine has published, this M3.1 event ranks stronger than 8% of them (rank #1,530 by magnitude).

30 seconds on this earthquake report

Magnitude
M 3.1
USGS class
Minor
Location
57 km SSE of Whites City
Archive rank
#1,530 of 1,782
Source
USGS
Published
September 22, 2026
MINOR

Out of 1,782 earthquake reports Areazine has logged, this one outranks 8% of them — 1,529 recorded a higher magnitude.

Record status: a point-in-time USGS detection. Aftershocks, revised magnitude, and felt-report data continue to update on USGS's own event page after publication.

What Happened

A magnitude 3.1 ml earthquake struck 57 km SSE of Whites City, New Mexico, on September 20, 2026, at 12:04:38 UTC. The event was recorded at a depth of 6.1 km.

Location Details

The earthquake was centered at latitude 31.666, longitude -104.25, approximately 57 km south-southeast of Whites City, New Mexico. The shallow depth of 6.1 km classifies it as a shallow earthquake (less than 20 km).

Impact Assessment

No felt reports were recorded. There was no tsunami advisory, and no alert level was issued.

What You Should Know

Earthquakes of this magnitude are often felt but rarely cause damage. Minor aftershocks remain possible.

Source

Data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS): https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/tx2026srfrih

Original source: USGS Official Notice ↗

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Similar notices nationwide by length or severity timing 8

Beyond this USGS earthquake report's own category, Areazine surfaces two nationwide peer sets: length-matched and severity/date-matched notices from elsewhere in the archive, distinct from the same-feed Related list above.

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Nearest notices by article body length (786 characters here).

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Similar severity timing

Same severity (low) notices issued closest in time to September 22, 2026.

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What People Ask

Common questions about this USGS earthquake report.

What magnitude was this earthquake? ▾
A magnitude 3.1 earthquake occurred 57 km SSE of Whites City, New Mexico, at a depth of 6.1 km.
How should a magnitude 3.1 ("Minor") event be understood? ▾
The USGS classifies M3.1 as "Minor" on its Earthquake Hazards Program scale. Events in this range are rarely felt beyond the immediate epicenter and typically cause no damage; most are recorded only by seismographs.
Where does this event rank against Areazine's other recorded earthquakes? ▾
This is the #1,530 strongest of the 1,782 earthquake reports in Areazine's archive by magnitude, stronger than 8% of them and weaker than 1,529 others.
Was Whites City likely to feel this earthquake? ▾
This event was centered 57 km SSE of Whites City. Shaking intensity falls off sharply with distance from the epicenter and depends on depth and local geology, so check the USGS "Did You Feel It?" report for this event for real felt-shaking data rather than assuming from magnitude and distance alone.

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