Magnitude 3.1 Earthquake Hits East of San Antonio

On Tuesday, May 14, 2019, an earthquake with a magnitude of 3.1 was recorded by the United States Geological Survey east of San Antonio. According to reports, it happened just before 6 a.m. and is said to be the fourth minor shakeup of its kind in under a month.

Nixon, Texas, is said to be the location of the epicenter, which was three miles below the surface, according to the USGS. This is located in Gonzales County, approximately 45 miles southeast of San Antonio and 68 miles south of Austin. It was the fourth earthquake in the vicinity in less than a month. On April 23, 2019, a 2.2 magnitude earthquake was recorded, followed by a 3.0 magnitude quake on May 10, 2019, in addition to a 3.1 magnitude quake on May 12, 2019, in the vicinity of Cuero, Texas. There have been no reports of injuries or damage at this time.

Photo: Pixabay

Temblor details in the state of Texas are tracked and maintained by such websites as Volcano Discovery. The site keeps track of the date and time of each earthquake, its magnitude, and monitors the exact location in which the quake occurred in the Lone Star State. Such data can assist in the determination of any correlations to plate shifts, man-made actions or activities, as well as other developments, and proves helpful in terms of responding to critical needs in the area. It also helps with future planning in the areas of emergency response, industry development, and housing and community planning. Thousands of earthquakes are recorded and reported in Texas over the course of a year, and these systems help monitor the activity—many of which we don’t often hear of in news reports.