QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.8ml

Earthquake near Townsend, MT

No earthquake was likely felt in Townsend in the 24 hours to 5:30 am MST (12:30 UTC). The last one was M 1.7, 9 km (5 mi) W, at 2:32 pm MDT on 15 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Townsend

This page: a magnitude 2.8 earthquake was recorded 29 km (18 mi) east of Townsend, MT, at 9:36 pm MDT on 26 April 2016 (03:36 UTC), 4.8 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 25 km ENE of Toston, Montana

9:36 pm MDT, Apr 26, 2016 · · 4.8 km deep · released about 450 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Townsend Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Broadwater County 27 kmMeagher County 39 kmJefferson County 72 kmGallatin County 84 kmWheatland County 102 kmPark County 102 kmJudith Basin County 106 kmSweet Grass County 107 kmCascade County 117 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
9:36 pm MDT on 26 April 2016 ()
Where
29 km (18 mi) east of Townsend, MT · earthquakes near Townsend
Montana today
every earthquake in Montana in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.8 (ml)
Depth
4.8 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Broadwater County, 27 km WNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1562 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 26 km (16 mi) from the epicentre. In Townsend, 29 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.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 450 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 34,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 24,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 2.1× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.8 about 450 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 lists 6 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.6 The 1925 Clarkston Valley, Montana Earthquake · 35 km SW of this epicentre
  2. 6.4 Clarkston Valley, Montana (Aftershock) · 35 km SW of this epicentre
  3. 5.5 Clarkston Valley, Montana (Aftershock) · 35 km SW of this epicentre
  4. 5.5 Clarkston Valley, Montana (Aftershock) · 35 km SW of this epicentre
  5. 5.5 Clarkston Valley, Montana (Aftershock) · 35 km SW of this epicentre

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 46.2777, -111.1522. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Broadwater County, MT 27 km (17 mi) WNW earthquakes near Broadwater County
Meagher County, MT 39 km (24 mi) NNE earthquakes near Meagher County
Jefferson County, MT 72 km (45 mi) WSW earthquakes near Jefferson County
Gallatin County, MT 84 km (52 mi) S earthquakes near Gallatin County
Wheatland County, MT 102 km (64 mi) ENE earthquakes near Wheatland County
Park County, MT 102 km (64 mi) SSE earthquakes near Park County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 2 km WNW of Manhattan, Montana
  2. 2.5 4 km NW of Manhattan, Montana
  3. 1.6 7 km WSW of Townsend, Montana
  4. 2.2 0 km E of Manhattan, Montana
  5. 1.5 2 km WNW of Manhattan, Montana
  6. 2.2 2 km WNW of Manhattan, Montana
  7. 1.8 7 km WSW of Townsend, Montana
  8. 1.5 1 km WNW of Manhattan, Montana
  9. 1.9 2 km W of Manhattan, Montana
  10. 2.8 3 km WNW of Manhattan, Montana
  11. 2.0 1 km W of Manhattan, Montana
  12. 1.8 3 km N of Logan, Montana
  13. 1.9 6 km NE of Logan, Montana
  14. 1.8 4 km W of Ponderosa Pines, Montana
  15. 1.6 Western 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

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.