M6.3 The 1931 Valentine, Texas Earthquake
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck on Sun, Aug 16, 1931, 6:40 AM GMT-5 (11:40 UTC), 10 km (6 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 6.3 (mw), strong
- Local time
- UTC
- 1931-08-16 11:40:26 UTC
- Depth
- 10.0 km (6.2 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 30.712° N, 104.179° W
- Region
- Texas
- Strongest shaking
- VIII, severe shaking
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Shaking
The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.
- Strongest estimated
- VIII, severe shaking
- Peak ground acceleration
- 36.9% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- 3.6 cm/s
- Map
- Automatic
Did you feel it?
No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Magnitude uncertainty
- ±0.30
- Depth from
- From location
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
None recorded.
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Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem906944 (also filed as ushis877). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 7:07 AM UTC.