Earthquake near Cut Bank, MT

USGS: 22 km NW of Santa Rita, Montana

7:51 am MDT, Jul 16, 2019 · 2019-07-16 13:51 UTC · 5.0 km deep · released about 15 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: 7:51 am MDT on 16 July 2019 (2019-07-16 13:51 UTC)
Where: 29 km (18 mi) NNW of Cut Bank, MT · earthquakes near Cut Bank
Magnitude: M 1.8 (ml)
Depth: 5.0 km below the surface
Felt: no reports yet
Nearest: Glacier County, 40 km WSW
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS 2634 days ago · we first saw it 2634 days ago

A magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 29 km (18 mi) NNW of Cut Bank, MT, at 7:51 am MDT on 16 July 2019 (13:51 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 15 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,000,000× the energy of this one
Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 730,000× the energy of this one
Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 65× the energy of this one
This earthquake M 1.8 about 15 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 48.8693, -112.5002. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

Place	Distance	Direction from the epicentre
Glacier County, MT	40 km (25 mi)	WSW	earthquakes near Glacier County
Toole County, MT	61 km (38 mi)	ESE	earthquakes near Toole County
Pondera County, MT	74 km (46 mi)	SSE	earthquakes near Pondera County
Liberty County, MT	113 km (70 mi)	ESE	earthquakes near Liberty County
Teton County, MT	118 km (73 mi)	S	earthquakes near Teton County
Flathead County, MT	131 km (81 mi)	WSW	earthquakes near Flathead County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

2.3 40 km SSE of Magrath, Canada 21:53 UTC
1.5 12 km WSW of Sunburst, Montana 01:22 UTC
1.6 9 km ESE of Cut Bank, Montana 05:46 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
1.8 11 km NNE of Santa Rita, Montana 22:15 UTC
2.3 13 km NNE of Santa Rita, Montana 00:42 UTC
1.6 16 km NNE of Santa Rita, Montana 17:31 UTC
2.3 18 km NNE of Santa Rita, Montana 08:04 UTC
2.0 17 km W of Sunburst, Montana 21:55 UTC
2.0 Alberta, Canada 03:55 UTC
1.9 35 km SE of Cardston, Canada 12:15 UTC

Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of 02:15 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.