Earthquake near North Browning, MT

USGS: 34 km E of Babb, Montana

1:31 am MDT, May 30, 2019 · 2019-05-30 07:31 UTC · 6.3 km deep · released about 8.7 lb of TNT

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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: 1:31 am MDT on 30 May 2019 (2019-05-30 07:31 UTC)
Where: 37 km (23 mi) N of North Browning, MT · earthquakes near North Browning
Magnitude: M 1.6 (ml)
Depth: 6.3 km below the surface
Felt: no reports yet
Nearest: Glacier County, 22 km S
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS 2683 days ago · we first saw it 2683 days ago

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake was recorded 37 km (23 mi) N of North Browning, MT, at 1:31 am MDT on 30 May 2019 (07:31 UTC). This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 8.7 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,700,000× the energy of this one
Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,200,000× the energy of this one
Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 110× the energy of this one
This earthquake M 1.6 about 8.7 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

Map loads when it scrolls into view

Epicentre 48.9012, -112.9687. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

Place	Distance	Direction from the epicentre
Glacier County, MT	22 km (14 mi)	S	earthquakes near Glacier County
Pondera County, MT	93 km (58 mi)	SE	earthquakes near Pondera County
Toole County, MT	95 km (59 mi)	ESE	earthquakes near Toole County
Flathead County, MT	104 km (65 mi)	SW	earthquakes near Flathead County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

2.3 40 km SSE of Magrath, Canada 21:53 UTC
2.3 6 km SSW of Cardston, Canada 04:05 UTC
1.7 21 km SSE of Cardston, Canada 10:54 UTC
2.0 43 km NNW of Santa Rita, Montana 23:42 UTC
2.4 38 km NNW of Santa Rita, Montana 07:05 UTC
1.9 40 km SSE of Magrath, Canada 15:27 UTC
1.5 20 km NW of Santa Rita, Montana 03:06 UTC
2.7 17 km NNW of Santa Rita, Montana 02:59 UTC
2.8 8 km S of Cardston, Canada 22:10 UTC
1.7 14 km S of Cardston, Canada 14:52 UTC
2.0 Alberta, Canada 03:55 UTC
1.9 35 km SE of Cardston, Canada 12:15 UTC
1.5 23 km NW of Santa Rita, Montana 18:14 UTC
1.9 10 km NNW of Babb, Montana 13:33 UTC
2.4 22 km NW of Santa Rita, Montana 20:46 UTC

Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of 02:52 UTC. 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.