Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist
M 4.3ml
Earthquake near Lincoln, MT
No earthquake was likely felt in Lincoln in the 24 hours to 7:45 am MST (14:45 UTC). The last one was M 3.1, 40 km (25 mi) WNW, at 8:34 pm MDT on 4 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 4 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Lincoln
This page: a magnitude 4.3 earthquake was recorded 20 km (12 mi) east of Lincoln, MT, at 12:31 pm MST on 30 January 2016 (19:31 UTC), 1.6 km deep. 5 people have reported feeling it to USGS.
USGS: 19 km E of Lincoln, Montana
- When
- 12:31 pm MST on 30 January 2016 ()
- Where
- 20 km (12 mi) east of Lincoln, MT · earthquakes near Lincoln
- Montana today
- every earthquake in Montana in the last 24 hours
- Magnitude
- M 4.3 (ml)
- Depth
- 1.6 km below the surface
- Felt
- 5 reports · strongest reported intensity III
- Measured shaking
- intensity IV (ShakeMap)
- USGS impact alert
- green
- Nearest
- Lewis and Clark County, 20 km N
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1557 days ago
Earthquake alerts for Lincoln, MT
Get a notification in this browser when USGS records an earthquake near Lincoln, MT. No account or email needed.
Alerts are on for .
Not a warning. An alert comes after USGS publishes a quake, usually minutes after the shaking. For early warning use ShakeAlert, through your phone's Wireless Emergency Alerts or the MyShake app.
This was a light earthquake. It is usually felt clearly nearby and can rattle windows and dishes, but damage is uncommon.
At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 124 km (77 mi) from the epicentre. In Lincoln, 20 km away, the estimate is intensity IV (light). 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: Lincoln 20 km, intensity IV · Helena 49 km, intensity III. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.
How big was it?
This earthquake released about 47 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 5.3 would have released about 32 times as much.
- Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 3,600× the energy of this one
- Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 160× the energy of this one
- Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 110× the energy of this one
- This earthquake M 4.3 about 47 tons of TNT
- Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 99× more
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
The largest earthquake within 50 km (31 mi) since our catalogue begins in 2016. No other earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded this close in that time.
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 46.9460, -112.4205. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby places
| Place | Distance | Direction from the epicentre | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis and Clark County, MT | 20 km (12 mi) | N | earthquakes near Lewis and Clark County |
| Powell County, MT | 40 km (25 mi) | WSW | earthquakes near Powell County |
| Cascade County, MT | 91 km (56 mi) | ENE | earthquakes near Cascade County |
| Jefferson County, MT | 95 km (59 mi) | SSE | earthquakes near Jefferson County |
| Teton County, MT | 98 km (61 mi) | N | earthquakes near Teton County |
| Granite County, MT | 98 km (61 mi) | SW | earthquakes near Granite County |
Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.
Aftershocks so far
54 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.
- 1.5 3 km NW of Helena Valley Northwest, Montana
- 1.7 5 km ESE of Craig, Montana
- 1.6 7 km WSW of Elliston, Montana
- 2.7 8 km WSW of Elliston, MT
- 1.7 24 km SSW of Augusta, Montana
- 1.7 12 km ESE of Lincoln, Montana
- 1.8 7 km WSW of Elliston, Montana
- 1.8 12 km N of Helena Valley Northeast, Montana
- 1.7 13 km SE of Lincoln, Montana
- 1.6 7 km NNE of Helena Valley Northwest, Montana
- 2.3 7 km NNE of Helena Valley Northwest, Montana
- 1.6 12 km WNW of Lincoln, Montana
- 1.5 10 km W of Helena West Side, Montana
- 2.3 7 km NE of Marysville, Montana
- 2.1 12 km ESE of Lincoln, Montana
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
- The official USGS event page — the source of record for every value above
- Did you feel it? Report it to USGS — reports go to USGS, not to us
- ShakeMap for this event, when USGS has produced one
QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.