QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8ml

Earthquake near Harper, KS

No earthquake was likely felt in Harper in the 24 hours to 8:11 am CST (14:11 UTC). The last one was M 3.4, 186 km (116 mi) S, at 5:53 am CST on 7 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 23 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Harper

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 7 km (4 mi) north-northwest of Harper, KS, at 6:22 am CDT on 13 October 2018 (11:22 UTC), 8.0 km deep.

USGS: 6 km NNW of Harper, Kansas

74 km (46 mi) WSW of Wichita, KS

6:22 am CDT, Oct 13, 2018 · · 8.0 km deep · released about 15 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Harper County 17 kmKingman County 25 kmSumner County 51 kmBarber County 57 kmSedgwick County 65 kmGrant County 66 kmReno County 68 kmPratt County 69 kmAlfalfa County 72 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
6:22 am CDT on 13 October 2018 ()
Where
7 km (4 mi) north-northwest of Harper, KS · earthquakes near Harper
Magnitude
M 1.8 (ml)
Depth
8.0 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Harper County, 17 km S
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2949 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 15 km (9 mi) from the epicentre. In Harper, 7 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.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Anthony.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 15 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,000,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 710,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 63× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.8 about 15 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 37.3412, -98.0575. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Harper County, KS 17 km (11 mi) S earthquakes near Harper County
Kingman County, KS 25 km (15 mi) NNW earthquakes near Kingman County
Sumner County, KS 51 km (32 mi) ESE earthquakes near Sumner County
Barber County, KS 57 km (35 mi) WSW earthquakes near Barber County
Sedgwick County, KS 65 km (40 mi) NE earthquakes near Sedgwick County
Grant County, OK 66 km (41 mi) SSE earthquakes near Grant County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.5 6 km NW of Danville, Kansas
  2. 1.6 4 km ENE of Freeport, Kansas
  3. 1.9 5 km NNW of Mayfield, Kansas
  4. 1.8 4 km NW of Danville, Kansas
  5. 2.8 2 km WNW of Danville, Kansas
  6. 1.6 6 km SE of Freeport, Kansas
  7. 2.1 1 km WNW of Argonia, Kansas
  8. 1.5 7 km ENE of Bluff City, Kansas
  9. 1.9 2 km SSE of Bluff City, Kansas
  10. 1.6 3 km ENE of Freeport, Kansas
  11. 1.8 3 km E of Freeport, Kansas
  12. 2.2 7 km N of Wakita, Oklahoma
  13. 1.5 7 km ENE of Bluff City, Kansas
  14. 1.8 4 km WNW of Danville, Kansas
  15. 2.1 1 km ESE of Hazelton, 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.