QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8ml

Earthquake near Clinton, MT

No earthquake was likely felt in Clinton in the 24 hours to 2:54 pm MST (21:54 UTC). The last one was M 2.9, 30 km (19 mi) ENE, at 8:06 am MDT on 15 August 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Clinton

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 28 km (17 mi) east-southeast of Clinton, MT, at 6:25 am MST on 25 November 2021 (13:25 UTC), less than 1 km deep.

USGS: 18 km W of Drummond, Montana

55 km (34 mi) ESE of Missoula, MT

6:25 am MST, Nov 25, 2021 · · 0.9 km deep · released about 15 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Granite County 28 kmPowell County 41 kmMissoula County 57 kmDeer Lodge County 64 kmRavalli County 84 kmLewis and Clark County 93 kmSilver Bow County 101 kmJefferson County 117 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
6:25 am MST on 25 November 2021 ()
Where
28 km (17 mi) east-southeast of Clinton, MT · earthquakes near Clinton
Montana today
every earthquake in Montana in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 1.8 (ml)
Depth
0.9 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Granite County, 28 km S
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1812 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 14 km (9 mi) from the epicentre. In Clinton, 28 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.

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.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,000,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 710,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 63× the energy of this one
  4. 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

Epicentre 46.6458, -113.3912. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Granite County, MT 28 km (17 mi) S earthquakes near Granite County
Powell County, MT 41 km (26 mi) ENE earthquakes near Powell County
Missoula County, MT 57 km (35 mi) NW earthquakes near Missoula County
Deer Lodge County, MT 64 km (40 mi) SSE earthquakes near Deer Lodge County
Ravalli County, MT 84 km (52 mi) SW earthquakes near Ravalli County
Lewis and Clark County, MT 93 km (58 mi) NE earthquakes near Lewis and Clark County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.2 22 km SW of Ovando, Montana
  2. 3.1 5 km NW of Ovando, Montana
  3. 2.9 22 km WSW of Ovando, Montana
  4. 2.4 10 km S of Ovando, Montana
  5. 1.8 17 km ENE of Drummond, Montana
  6. 2.3 16 km ENE of Drummond, Montana
  7. 1.9 7 km WSW of Drummond, Montana
  8. 1.9 10 km NW of Garrison, Montana
  9. 1.7 10 km ESE of Ovando, Montana
  10. 1.8 2 km S of Turah, Montana
  11. 1.6 10 km WSW of Drummond, Montana
  12. 1.6 21 km NE of Drummond, Montana
  13. 1.7 15 km WSW of Drummond, Montana
  14. 1.5 21 km NNW of Drummond, Montana
  15. 2.8 17 km ESE of Ovando, 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

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.