A shallow magnitude 3.6 earthquake was reported late at night near Carlsbad, Eddy County, New Mexico, USA.According to the United States Geological Survey, the quake hit on Saturday, April 18th, 2026, at 11:15 pm local time at a shallow depth of 6.2 miles. Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.A second report was later issued by The Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS), which listed it as a magnitude 3.6 earthquake as well. A third agency, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), reported the same quake at magnitude 3.6.According to preliminary calculations, we do not expect that the quake was felt by many people and did not cause any damage. In Toyah (pop. 98, 41 miles away), Van Horn (pop. 1,900, 50 miles away), Pecos (pop. 9,500, 54 miles away), and Carlsbad (pop. 29,000, 54 miles away), the quake was probably not felt.Earthquake data: Date & time: Apr 18, 2026 11:15 pm (GMT -5) local time (19 Apr 2026 04:15 GMT)Magnitude: 3.6Depth: 10.00 kmEpicenter latitude / longitude: 31.64°N / 104.37°W (Culberson County, Texas, United States)Primary data source: USGS