Swarm of 19 small earthquakes rattles West Texas in last 24 hours, geologists say

A swarm of at least 19 earthquakes reaching up to 2.5 magnitude rattled West Texas in a 24-hour span Monday and Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey reports.

Seven of the earthquakes had a magnitude of at least 2.0, according to the USGS. The other quakes in the swarm were at least 1.6 magnitude.

The 2.5 magnitude earthquake happened at 6:23 p.m. Central Time Monday in Reeves County about 210 miles east of El Paso. The earthquake was 5.2 miles deep, according to the USGS.

In a two-hour span, the area in Reeves County had 10 earthquakes ranging in magnitude from 1.6 to 2.5.

Earthquakes in the swarm were also concentrated in Culberson, Loving, Cooke and Pecos counties beginning around noon Monday.

There are no reports of injuries or damage from the small earthquakes.

Magnitude measures the energy released at the source of the earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey says. It replaces the old Richter scale.

Quakes between 2.5 and 5.4 magnitude are often felt but rarely cause much damage, according to Michigan Tech.

This story was originally published June 29, 2021 at 11:18 AM.