QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.0ml

Earthquake near Caldwell, KS

No earthquake was likely felt in Caldwell in the 24 hours to 5:52 pm CST (23:52 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 2.0 earthquake was recorded 9 km (6 mi) south of Caldwell, KS, at 10:25 am CDT on 23 July 2016 (15:25 UTC), 4.0 km deep.

USGS: 6 km ENE of Renfrow, Oklahoma

85 km (53 mi) SSW of Wichita, KS

10:25 am CDT, Jul 23, 2016 · · 4.0 km deep · released about 32 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Grant County 26 kmSumner County 33 kmKay County 42 kmHarper County 50 kmGarfield County 66 kmAlfalfa County 70 kmNoble County 71 kmCowley County 74 kmSedgwick County 82 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
10:25 am CDT on 23 July 2016 ()
Where
9 km (6 mi) south of Caldwell, KS · earthquakes near Caldwell
Oklahoma today
every earthquake in Oklahoma in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.0 (ml)
Depth
4.0 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Grant County, 26 km SW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3754 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 25 km (16 mi) from the epicentre. In Caldwell, 9 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 9 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 32 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.0 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 470,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 330,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 30× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.0 about 32 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 36.9540, -97.5883. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Grant County, OK 26 km (16 mi) SW earthquakes near Grant County
Sumner County, KS 33 km (20 mi) NNE earthquakes near Sumner County
Kay County, OK 42 km (26 mi) ESE earthquakes near Kay County
Harper County, KS 50 km (31 mi) WNW earthquakes near Harper County
Garfield County, OK 66 km (41 mi) SSW earthquakes near Garfield County
Alfalfa County, OK 70 km (44 mi) WSW earthquakes near Alfalfa County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.7 6 km E of Manchester, Oklahoma
  2. 1.8 7 km ENE of Caldwell, Kansas
  3. 2.2 7 km SW of Danville, Kansas
  4. 2.2 5 km SSE of Bluff City, Kansas
  5. 2.7 5 km SSE of Bluff City, Kansas
  6. 2.1 5 km SSE of Bluff City, Kansas
  7. 2.4 5 km SSE of Bluff City, Kansas
  8. 1.9 3 km SSE of Danville, Kansas
  9. 2.8 7 km S of Anthony, Kansas
  10. 2.9 3 km SSE of Bluff City, KS
  11. 1.6 6 km SW of Danville, Kansas
  12. 1.6 4 km NNE of Anthony, Kansas
  13. 1.5 6 km ENE of Anthony, Kansas
  14. 1.5 6 km ENE of Milan, Kansas
  15. 1.8 2 km SE of Milan, 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.