QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.0md

Earthquake near Winfield, AL

No earthquake was likely felt in Winfield in the 24 hours to 9:27 am CST (15:27 UTC). The last one was M 4.0, 299 km (186 mi) NW, at 12:59 pm CDT on 23 April 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 913 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Winfield

This page: a magnitude 2.0 earthquake was recorded 5 km (3 mi) north-northeast of Winfield, AL, at 3:05 am CST on 15 December 2019 (09:05 UTC), less than 1 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 4 km NNE of Winfield, Alabama

3:05 am CST, Dec 15, 2019 · · 0.0 km deep · released about 33 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Marion County 20 kmFayette County 28 kmLamar County 34 kmWinston County 45 kmWalker County 50 kmFranklin County 53 kmItawamba County 63 kmMonroe County 64 kmLawrence 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
3:05 am CST on 15 December 2019 ()
Where
5 km (3 mi) north-northeast of Winfield, AL · earthquakes near Winfield
Magnitude
M 2.0 (md)
Depth
0.0 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Marion County, 20 km NNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1556 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 26 km (16 mi) from the epicentre. In Winfield, 5 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.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Guin, Hamilton, Carbon Hill.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 33 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.0 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 450,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 320,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 29× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.0 about 33 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 33.9698, -87.7952. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Marion County, AL 20 km (13 mi) NNW earthquakes near Marion County
Fayette County, AL 28 km (18 mi) S earthquakes near Fayette County
Lamar County, AL 34 km (21 mi) SW earthquakes near Lamar County
Winston County, AL 45 km (28 mi) ENE earthquakes near Winston County
Walker County, AL 50 km (31 mi) ESE earthquakes near Walker County
Franklin County, AL 53 km (33 mi) N earthquakes near Franklin County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.5 1 km W of Belk, Alabama
  2. 2.9 4 km NNW of Berry, Alabama

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.