QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.0ml

Earthquake near Oswego, NY

No earthquake was likely felt in Oswego in the 24 hours to 9:49 pm EST (02:49 UTC). The last one was M 2.8, 30 km (19 mi) N, at 9:08 am EDT on 21 March 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 10 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Oswego

This page: a magnitude 2.0 earthquake was recorded 36 km (23 mi) west-southwest of Oswego, NY, at 2:40 am EST on 18 December 2019 (07:40 UTC), 2.3 km deep. 4 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 13 km NNE of Sodus Point, New York

59 km (37 mi) ENE of Rochester, NY

2:40 am EST, Dec 18, 2019 · · 2.3 km deep · released about 36 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Wayne County 20 kmCayuga County 52 kmOswego County 60 kmMonroe County 63 kmOntario County 66 kmSeneca County 68 kmOnondaga County 74 kmYates County 84 kmJefferson County 99 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
2:40 am EST on 18 December 2019 ()
Where
36 km (23 mi) west-southwest of Oswego, NY · earthquakes near Oswego
New York today
every earthquake in New York in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.0 (ml)
Depth
2.3 km below the surface
Felt
4 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Wayne County, 20 km SSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2008 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 26 km (16 mi) from the epicentre. In Oswego, 36 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: Sodus, Wolcott, Williamson.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 36 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 5.8 420,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 300,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 27× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.0 about 36 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 43.3873, -76.9503. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Wayne County, NY 20 km (13 mi) SSW earthquakes near Wayne County
Cayuga County, NY 52 km (32 mi) SE earthquakes near Cayuga County
Oswego County, NY 60 km (38 mi) E earthquakes near Oswego County
Monroe County, NY 63 km (39 mi) WSW earthquakes near Monroe County
Ontario County, NY 66 km (41 mi) SSW earthquakes near Ontario County
Seneca County, NY 68 km (42 mi) S earthquakes near Seneca County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.8 23 km NW of Fair Haven, New York
  2. 2.2 12 km N of Pultneyville, New York
  3. 1.8 6 km NNE of Fair Haven, New York

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.