Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist
M 4.0ml
Earthquake near Whitehall, MT
No earthquake was likely felt in Whitehall in the 24 hours to 8:26 am MST (15:26 UTC). The last one was M 2.4, 21 km (13 mi) SW, at 3:27 am MDT on 25 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Whitehall
This page: a magnitude 4.0 earthquake was recorded 16 km (10 mi) south of Whitehall, MT, at 5:44 pm MDT on 3 September 2016 (23:44 UTC), 8.0 km deep. 21 people have reported feeling it to USGS.
USGS: 16 km S of Whitehall, Montana
- When
- 5:44 pm MDT on 3 September 2016 ()
- Where
- 16 km (10 mi) south of Whitehall, MT · earthquakes near Whitehall
- Montana today
- every earthquake in Montana in the last 24 hours
- Magnitude
- M 4.0 (ml)
- Depth
- 8.0 km below the surface
- Felt
- 21 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
- Measured shaking
- intensity IV (ShakeMap)
- USGS impact alert
- green
- Nearest
- Jefferson County, 45 km N
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2008 days ago
Earthquake alerts for Whitehall, MT
Get a notification in this browser when USGS records an earthquake near Whitehall, 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 99 km (62 mi) from the epicentre. In Whitehall, 16 km away, the estimate is intensity III (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.
Likely felt in: Whitehall 16 km, intensity III · Butte 44 km, intensity III · Three Forks 48 km, intensity III. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.
How big was it?
This earthquake released about 17 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 5.0 would have released about 32 times as much.
- Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 10,000× the energy of this one
- Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 450× the energy of this one
- Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 320× the energy of this one
- This earthquake M 4.0 about 17 tons of TNT
- Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 35× 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 lists one earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km:
- 5.4 Near Butte, Montana · 42 km NW 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 45.7253, -112.1262. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby places
| Place | Distance | Direction from the epicentre | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, MT | 45 km (28 mi) | N | earthquakes near Jefferson County |
| Silver Bow County, MT | 46 km (28 mi) | WNW | earthquakes near Silver Bow County |
| Madison County, MT | 47 km (29 mi) | SSE | earthquakes near Madison County |
| Gallatin County, MT | 78 km (49 mi) | ESE | earthquakes near Gallatin County |
| Broadwater County, MT | 83 km (52 mi) | NE | earthquakes near Broadwater County |
| Deer Lodge County, MT | 89 km (55 mi) | WNW | earthquakes near Deer Lodge County |
Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.
Aftershocks so far
55 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.
- 1.6 4 km E of Butte, Montana
- 2.2 5 km E of Butte, Montana
- 1.9 7 km WNW of Ennis, Montana
- 1.9 5 km E of Butte, Montana
- 2.5 15 km S of Whitehall, Montana
- 1.8 4 km E of Butte, Montana
- 1.5 4 km ESE of Butte, Montana
- 1.6 5 km E of Butte, Montana
- 2.2 15 km SSE of Pony, Montana
- 3.1 14 km S of Pony, Montana
- 2.0 5 km E of Butte, Montana
- 3.5 5 km WNW of Willow Creek, Montana
- 1.5 5 km E of Butte, Montana
- 1.6 8 km WNW of Twin Bridges, Montana
- 2.4 12 km SSE of Pony, 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.