QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.6ml

Earthquake near Oklahoma City, OK

No earthquake was likely felt in Oklahoma City in the 24 hours to 2:55 pm CST (20:55 UTC). The last one was M 3.4, 50 km (31 mi) WNW, at 5:53 am CST on 7 November 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 23 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Oklahoma City

This page: a magnitude 1.6 earthquake was recorded 42 km (26 mi) south of Oklahoma City, OK, at 6:27 am CST on 13 December 2023 (12:27 UTC), 4.5 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 1 km S of Cole, Oklahoma

42 km (26 mi) S of Oklahoma City, OK · 27 km (17 mi) SW of Norman, OK

6:27 am CST, Dec 13, 2023 · · 4.5 km deep · released about 6.6 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N McClain County 14 kmCleveland County 26 kmGrady County 29 kmGarvin County 49 kmOklahoma County 54 kmPottawatomie County 58 kmCanadian County 62 kmStephens County 72 kmCaddo County 74 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
6:27 am CST on 13 December 2023 ()
Where
42 km (26 mi) south of Oklahoma City, OK · earthquakes near Oklahoma City
Oklahoma today
every earthquake in Oklahoma in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 1.6 (ml)
Depth
4.5 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
McClain County, 14 km SE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 998 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 2 km (1 mi) from the epicentre. In Oklahoma City, 42 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.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Blanchard, Goldsby, Noble, Newcastle, Norman, Purcell.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 6.6 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 2,300,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,600,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 140× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.6 about 6.6 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 35.0907, -97.5742. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
McClain County, OK 14 km (9 mi) SE earthquakes near McClain County
Cleveland County, OK 26 km (16 mi) ENE earthquakes near Cleveland County
Grady County, OK 29 km (18 mi) WSW earthquakes near Grady County
Garvin County, OK 49 km (30 mi) SSE earthquakes near Garvin County
Oklahoma County, OK 54 km (33 mi) NNE earthquakes near Oklahoma County
Pottawatomie County, OK 58 km (36 mi) ENE earthquakes near Pottawatomie County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 13 km SW of Bradley, Oklahoma
  2. 2.0 6 km NW of Minco, Oklahoma
  3. 2.0 6 km NW of Minco, Oklahoma
  4. 1.6 2 km W of Washington, Oklahoma
  5. 1.7 11 km W of Dibble, Oklahoma
  6. 1.8 3 km WNW of Washington, Oklahoma
  7. 1.6 3 km NW of Washington, Oklahoma
  8. 1.9 4 km SE of Cole, Oklahoma
  9. 1.9 3 km WNW of Washington, Oklahoma
  10. 1.8 4 km WNW of Washington, Oklahoma
  11. 1.7 3 km WNW of Washington, Oklahoma
  12. 2.2 4 km WNW of Washington, Oklahoma
  13. 1.7 2 km NW of Washington, Oklahoma
  14. 1.8 3 km WNW of Washington, Oklahoma
  15. 1.9 6 km WNW of Minco, 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.