QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3ml

Earthquake near Emmett, ID

No earthquake was likely felt in Emmett in the 24 hours to 8:26 pm MST (03:26 UTC). The last one was M 1.7, 5 km (3 mi) N, at 10:00 am MDT on 22 September 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Emmett

This page: a magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 11 km (7 mi) north-northeast of Emmett, ID, at 2:33 pm MST on 4 January 2019 (21:33 UTC), less than 1 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 11 km NNE of Emmett, Idaho

44 km (27 mi) NNW of Boise City, ID · 39 km (24 mi) N of Meridian, ID

2:33 pm MST, Jan 4, 2019 · · 0.1 km deep · released about 91 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Gem County 11 kmPayette County 25 kmCanyon County 43 kmBoise County 58 kmAda County 59 kmWashington County 61 kmElmore County 100 kmAdams County 102 kmValley County 119 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
2:33 pm MST on 4 January 2019 ()
Where
11 km (7 mi) north-northeast of Emmett, ID · earthquakes near Emmett
Idaho today
every earthquake in Idaho in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.3 (ml)
Depth
0.1 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Gem County, 11 km NNE
Nearest mapped fault
Squaw Creek fault, under 1 km from its surface trace — near is not the same as on
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2868 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 20 km (12 mi) from the epicentre. In Emmett, 11 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.

Likely felt in: Emmett 11 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 91 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.3 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 170,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 120,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 10× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 91 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 one earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.3 Western Idaho · 27 km N 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 43.9633, -116.4372. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Gem County, ID 11 km (7 mi) NNE earthquakes near Gem County
Payette County, ID 25 km (16 mi) W earthquakes near Payette County
Canyon County, ID 43 km (27 mi) SSW earthquakes near Canyon County
Boise County, ID 58 km (36 mi) E earthquakes near Boise County
Ada County, ID 59 km (37 mi) SSE earthquakes near Ada County
Washington County, ID 61 km (38 mi) NNW earthquakes near Washington County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.8 8 km WNW of Smiths Ferry, Idaho
  2. 2.6 6 km WSW of Smiths Ferry, Idaho
  3. 2.6 11 km WSW of Smiths Ferry, Idaho
  4. 2.6 8 km W of Smiths Ferry, Idaho
  5. 1.6 11 km WSW of Smiths Ferry, Idaho
  6. 2.7 14 km W of Smiths Ferry, Idaho
  7. 2.9 12 km WSW of Smiths Ferry, Idaho
  8. 2.2 9 km WSW of Smiths Ferry, Idaho
  9. 1.8 Oregon-Idaho border region
  10. 3.4 14 km SW of Smiths Ferry, Idaho
  11. 1.6 8 km WNW of Smiths Ferry, Idaho
  12. 1.7 8 km WNW of Smiths Ferry, Idaho
  13. 2.4 6 km W of Smiths Ferry, Idaho
  14. 1.8 6 km WNW of Smiths Ferry, Idaho
  15. 1.9 5 km WNW of Smiths Ferry, Idaho

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.