QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9ml

Earthquake near Colony Park, PA

No earthquake was likely felt in Colony Park in the 24 hours to 8:03 am EST (13:03 UTC). The last one was M 1.9, 5 km (3 mi) S, at 4:36 pm EDT on 19 April 2024, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 59 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Colony Park

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded in Colony Park, PA, at 3:49 am EDT on 12 September 2018 (07:49 UTC), 3.0 km deep. 26 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 0 km N of Colony Park, Pennsylvania

in Reading, PA · 82 km (51 mi) WNW of Philadelphia, PA

3:49 am EDT, Sep 12, 2018 · · 3.0 km deep · released about 19 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Berks County 8 kmLebanon County 41 kmLancaster County 41 kmSchuylkill County 44 kmLehigh County 44 kmChester County 46 kmMontgomery County 54 kmCarbon County 67 kmDauphin County 69 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
3:49 am EDT on 12 September 2018 ()
Where
in Colony Park, PA · earthquakes near Colony Park
Magnitude
M 1.9 (ml)
Depth
3.0 km below the surface
Felt
26 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Berks County, 8 km NE
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 19 km (12 mi) from the epicentre. 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: Spring Ridge, Wyomissing Hills, Greenfields, West Lawn, Whitfield, Wyomissing.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 19 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 810,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 580,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 51× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 19 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 40.3523, -75.9815. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Berks County, PA 8 km (5 mi) NE earthquakes near Berks County
Lebanon County, PA 41 km (25 mi) W earthquakes near Lebanon County
Lancaster County, PA 41 km (26 mi) SSW earthquakes near Lancaster County
Schuylkill County, PA 44 km (27 mi) NNW earthquakes near Schuylkill County
Lehigh County, PA 44 km (27 mi) NE earthquakes near Lehigh County
Chester County, PA 46 km (29 mi) SSE earthquakes near Chester County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.9 0 km W of Shillington, Pennsylvania
  2. 1.7 1 km SSW of Alburtis, Pennsylvania
  3. 2.1 2 km WSW of Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania
  4. 1.5 6 km N of Wernersville, Pennsylvania
  5. 1.7 2 km W of Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania
  6. 2.2 4 km NW of Spring Ridge, Pennsylvania
  7. 1.6 5 km NNE of Wernersville, Pennsylvania
  8. 1.7 1 km NNW of Spring Ridge, Pennsylvania

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.