Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist
M 1.8ml
Earthquake near Bozeman, MT
No earthquake was likely felt in Bozeman in the 24 hours to 2:33 pm MST (21:33 UTC). The last one was M 3.0, 17 km (10 mi) NW, at 7:42 am MDT on 1 June 2024, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 20 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Bozeman
This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 32 km (20 mi) north-northwest of Bozeman, MT, at 2:47 pm MDT on 13 October 2020 (20:47 UTC), less than 1 km deep.
USGS: Western Montana
31 km (19 mi) NNW of Bozeman, MT
- When
- 2:47 pm MDT on 13 October 2020 ()
- Where
- 32 km (20 mi) north-northwest of Bozeman, MT · earthquakes near Bozeman
- Montana today
- every earthquake in Montana in the last 24 hours
- Magnitude
- M 1.8 (ml)
- Depth
- -1.4 km below the surface
- Felt
- no reports yet
- Nearest
- Gallatin County, 47 km S
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2219 days ago
Earthquake alerts for Bozeman, MT
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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 13 km (8 mi) from the epicentre. In Bozeman, 32 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.
Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Manhattan, Belgrade, Three Forks.
How big was it?
This earthquake released about 13 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 1,100,000× the energy of this one
- Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 810,000× the energy of this one
- Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 72× the energy of this one
- This earthquake M 1.8 about 13 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
The largest earthquake within 50 km since 2016 was M 4.2 on 2019-08-16 — about 4,600 times the energy of this one.
Before 2016, the USGS record lists 6 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:
- 6.6 The 1925 Clarkston Valley, Montana Earthquake · 29 km WNW of this epicentre
- 6.4 Clarkston Valley, Montana (Aftershock) · 29 km WNW of this epicentre
- 5.5 Clarkston Valley, Montana (Aftershock) · 29 km WNW of this epicentre
- 5.5 Clarkston Valley, Montana (Aftershock) · 29 km WNW of this epicentre
- 5.5 Clarkston Valley, Montana (Aftershock) · 29 km WNW 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 45.9447, -111.1913. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby places
| Place | Distance | Direction from the epicentre | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallatin County, MT | 47 km (30 mi) | S | earthquakes near Gallatin County |
| Broadwater County, MT | 49 km (30 mi) | NNW | earthquakes near Broadwater County |
| Jefferson County, MT | 70 km (43 mi) | WNW | earthquakes near Jefferson County |
| Park County, MT | 74 km (46 mi) | SE | earthquakes near Park County |
| Meagher County, MT | 74 km (46 mi) | NNE | earthquakes near Meagher County |
| Madison County, MT | 89 km (55 mi) | SW | earthquakes near Madison County |
Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.
Aftershocks so far
36 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.
- 2.4 4 km NNW of Logan, Montana
- 1.6 4 km NNW of Logan, Montana
- 1.5 2 km NNW of Logan, Montana
- 1.6 Western Montana
- 1.6 3 km WNW of Ponderosa Pines, Montana
- 1.6 9 km NNE of Three Forks, Montana
- 1.5 5 km NW of Logan, Montana
- 2.0 5 km NNE of Willow Creek, Montana
- 1.6 Western Montana
- 2.3 16 km SSW of Radersburg, Montana
- 1.6 15 km ESE of Harrison, Montana
- 2.2 2 km SE of Three Forks, Montana
- 1.6 5 km SW of Ponderosa Pines, Montana
- 2.2 5 km WSW of Ponderosa Pines, Montana
- 1.5 8 km ENE of Toston, 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.