QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8ml

Earthquake near Norman, OK

No earthquake was likely felt in Norman in the 24 hours to 3:28 pm CST (21:28 UTC). The last one was M 3.4, 70 km (43 mi) NW, at 5:53 am CST on 7 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 23 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Norman

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 16 km (10 mi) southwest of Norman, OK, at 5:14 pm CST on 4 December 2023 (23:14 UTC), 5.9 km deep. 3 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 2 km NNE of Cole, Oklahoma

39 km (24 mi) S of Oklahoma City, OK · 24 km (15 mi) SW of Norman, OK

5:14 pm CST, Dec 4, 2023 · · 5.9 km deep · released about 15 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Norman Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N McClain County 15 kmCleveland County 24 kmGrady County 32 kmOklahoma County 50 kmGarvin County 51 kmPottawatomie County 56 kmCanadian County 60 kmCaddo County 75 kmStephens County 76 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
5:14 pm CST on 4 December 2023 ()
Where
16 km (10 mi) southwest of Norman, OK · earthquakes near Norman
Oklahoma today
every earthquake in Oklahoma in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 1.8 (ml)
Depth
5.9 km below the surface
Felt
3 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
McClain County, 15 km SE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1005 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 16 km (10 mi) from the epicentre. In Norman, 16 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.

Likely felt in: Blanchard 9 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

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 35.1207, -97.5617. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
McClain County, OK 15 km (10 mi) SE earthquakes near McClain County
Cleveland County, OK 24 km (15 mi) ENE earthquakes near Cleveland County
Grady County, OK 32 km (20 mi) WSW earthquakes near Grady County
Oklahoma County, OK 50 km (31 mi) NNE earthquakes near Oklahoma County
Garvin County, OK 51 km (32 mi) SSE earthquakes near Garvin County
Pottawatomie County, OK 56 km (35 mi) E earthquakes near Pottawatomie County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.9 4 km SE of Cole, Oklahoma
  2. 1.9 3 km WNW of Washington, Oklahoma
  3. 1.8 4 km WNW of Washington, Oklahoma
  4. 1.7 3 km WNW of Washington, Oklahoma
  5. 2.2 4 km WNW of Washington, Oklahoma
  6. 1.7 2 km NW of Washington, Oklahoma
  7. 1.8 3 km WNW of Washington, Oklahoma
  8. 1.9 6 km WNW of Minco, Oklahoma
  9. 1.6 2 km WNW of Washington, Oklahoma
  10. 1.6 10 km N of Alex, Oklahoma
  11. 1.6 12 km N of Alex, Oklahoma
  12. 2.1 4 km SE of Cole, Oklahoma
  13. 1.6 4 km SE of Cole, Oklahoma
  14. 1.7 11 km WSW of Dibble, Oklahoma
  15. 1.7 4 km ESE of Cole, Oklahoma

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.