QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8ml

Earthquake near Pablo, MT

No earthquake was likely felt in Pablo in the 24 hours to 9:48 am MST (16:48 UTC). The last one was M 3.8, 77 km (48 mi) ESE, at 4:46 am MDT on 5 July 2024, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 131 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Pablo

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 48 km (30 mi) east of Pablo, MT, at 5:16 pm MDT on 31 March 2025 (23:16 UTC), 13 km deep.

USGS: 17 km E of Condon, Montana

5:16 pm MDT, Mar 31, 2025 · · 13 km deep · released about 16 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lake County 46 kmMissoula County 66 kmPowell County 89 kmFlathead County 93 kmTeton County 94 kmLewis and Clark County 95 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
5:16 pm MDT on 31 March 2025 ()
Where
48 km (30 mi) east of Pablo, MT · earthquakes near Pablo
Montana today
every earthquake in Montana in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 1.8 (ml)
Depth
13 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Lake County, 46 km WNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 590 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 5 km (3 mi) from the epicentre. In Pablo, 48 km away, the estimate is intensity I (not felt). 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 16 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 5.8 970,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 680,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 61× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.8 about 16 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 47.5532, -113.4783. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lake County, MT 46 km (29 mi) WNW earthquakes near Lake County
Missoula County, MT 66 km (41 mi) SSW earthquakes near Missoula County
Powell County, MT 89 km (55 mi) SSE earthquakes near Powell County
Flathead County, MT 93 km (58 mi) NNW earthquakes near Flathead County
Teton County, MT 94 km (59 mi) ENE earthquakes near Teton County
Lewis and Clark County, MT 95 km (59 mi) ESE earthquakes near Lewis and Clark 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.

  1. 1.0 22 km N of Ovando, Montana
  2. 2.3 22 km N of Ovando, Montana
  3. 1.1 27 km ENE of Seeley Lake, Montana
  4. -0.0 19 km E of Finley Point, Montana
  5. 1.4 38 km NNE of Ovando, Montana
  6. 0.9 15 km SE of Condon, Montana
  7. 0.9 9 km WSW of Condon, Montana
  8. 3.2 3 km NE of Seeley Lake, Montana
  9. 2.4 32 km ENE of Seeley Lake, Montana
  10. 2.6 31 km ENE of Seeley Lake, Montana
  11. 2.1 25 km ENE of Seeley Lake, Montana
  12. 1.9 15 km N of Seeley Lake, Montana
  13. 1.9 18 km E of Saint Ignatius, Montana
  14. 1.8 17 km SSE of Swan Lake, Montana
  15. 2.6 13 km ESE of Kicking Horse, 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.