QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8ml

Earthquake near Livingston, MT

No earthquake was likely felt in Livingston in the 24 hours to 7:12 am MST (14:12 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 15 km (9 mi) E, at 12:38 am MDT on 23 June 2024, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near Livingston

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 48 km (30 mi) north-northeast of Livingston, MT, at 3:21 pm MDT on 27 September 2025 (21:21 UTC), 9.6 km deep.

USGS: 23 km ENE of Wilsall, Montana

3:21 pm MDT, Sep 27, 2025 · · 9.6 km deep · released about 13 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Sweet Grass County 45 kmWheatland County 62 kmPark County 69 kmMeagher County 70 kmGallatin County 87 kmBroadwater County 90 kmStillwater County 91 kmGolden Valley County 99 kmJudith Basin County 106 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
3:21 pm MDT on 27 September 2025 ()
Where
48 km (30 mi) north-northeast of Livingston, MT · earthquakes near Livingston
Montana today
every earthquake in Montana in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 1.8 (ml)
Depth
9.6 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Sweet Grass County, 45 km SE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 409 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 9 km (6 mi) from the epicentre. In Livingston, 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 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.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,100,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 810,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 72× the energy of this one
  4. 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

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 46.0773, -110.3863. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Sweet Grass County, MT 45 km (28 mi) SE earthquakes near Sweet Grass County
Wheatland County, MT 62 km (38 mi) NE earthquakes near Wheatland County
Park County, MT 69 km (43 mi) S earthquakes near Park County
Meagher County, MT 70 km (43 mi) NW earthquakes near Meagher County
Gallatin County, MT 87 km (54 mi) SW earthquakes near Gallatin County
Broadwater County, MT 90 km (56 mi) WNW earthquakes near Broadwater County

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

Aftershocks so far

1 earthquake has been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 1.7 29 km N of Sedan, 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.