QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1ml

Earthquake near Caldwell, KS

No earthquake was likely felt in Caldwell in the 24 hours to 3:23 pm CST (21:23 UTC). The last one was M 3.4, 163 km (101 mi) SSW, at 5:53 am CST on 7 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 23 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Caldwell

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 15 km (9 mi) west of Caldwell, KS, at 10:11 pm CDT on 10 June 2016 (03:11 UTC), 6.0 km deep.

USGS: 10 km SE of Bluff City, Kansas

83 km (52 mi) SSW of Wichita, KS

10:11 pm CDT, Jun 10, 2016 · · 6.0 km deep · released about 43 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Grant County 26 kmHarper County 32 kmSumner County 34 kmAlfalfa County 59 kmKay County 60 kmKingman County 68 kmGarfield County 72 kmSedgwick County 78 kmBarber County 84 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction and later quakes as coloured dots. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
10:11 pm CDT on 10 June 2016 ()
Where
15 km (9 mi) west of Caldwell, KS · earthquakes near Caldwell
Magnitude
M 2.1 (ml)
Depth
6.0 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Grant County, 26 km S
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3796 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 28 km (17 mi) from the epicentre. In Caldwell, 15 km away, the estimate is intensity II (weak). Estimated from magnitude, depth and distance with the intensity equation USGS Did You Feel It? uses; felt reports, where there are any, are the measurement.

Likely felt in: Caldwell 15 km, intensity II · Anthony 27 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 43 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 350,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 250,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 22× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 43 lb of TNT

Energy from the Gutenberg–Richter relation (log10E = 1.5M + 4.8), rounded to two figures; bar length is magnitude, which is already a logarithm of energy. Magnitudes of past earthquakes from the USGS catalogue.

For this area

No earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded within 50 km since our catalogue begins in 2016.

Before 2016, the USGS record since 1900 lists no earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km.

Since 2016: the QuakeIndex catalogue (US, M1.5+), built from the USGS FDSN event service. Before 2016: USGS ComCat, M5+ from 1900. Distances are between epicentres. This is the record, not a forecast.

Where

Epicentre 37.0215, -97.7730. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Grant County, OK 26 km (16 mi) S earthquakes near Grant County
Harper County, KS 32 km (20 mi) NW earthquakes near Harper County
Sumner County, KS 34 km (21 mi) NE earthquakes near Sumner County
Alfalfa County, OK 59 km (36 mi) WSW earthquakes near Alfalfa County
Kay County, OK 60 km (38 mi) ESE earthquakes near Kay County
Kingman County, KS 68 km (42 mi) NNW earthquakes near Kingman County

Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.

Aftershocks so far

56 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 1.5 6 km ESE of Anthony, Kansas
  2. 2.2 6 km SSE of Harper, Kansas
  3. 1.7 2 km ENE of Freeport, Kansas
  4. 2.2 6 km SSE of Harper, Kansas
  5. 1.5 4 km ESE of Caldwell, Kansas
  6. 3.4 8 km W of Deer Creek, Oklahoma
  7. 3.3 9 km N of Harper, Kansas
  8. 3.2 8 km W of Deer Creek, Oklahoma
  9. 2.7 Oklahoma
  10. 1.8 5 km W of Argonia, Kansas
  11. 1.9 4 km WSW of Bluff City, Kansas
  12. 1.7 5 km SE of Manchester, Oklahoma
  13. 1.7 3 km ENE of Freeport, Kansas
  14. 2.7 8 km W of Deer Creek, Oklahoma
  15. 1.7 5 km ENE of Mayfield, Kansas

Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of . QuakeIndex does not forecast aftershocks. When USGS issues an operational aftershock forecast it appears on the USGS event page.

On USGS

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.