QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.2md

Earthquake near Vanceburg, KY

No earthquake was likely felt in Vanceburg in the 24 hours to 9:42 am EST (14:42 UTC). The last one was M 2.2, 16 km (10 mi) WNW, at 10:46 pm EST on 26 February 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Vanceburg

This page: a magnitude 2.2 earthquake was recorded 20 km (12 mi) south-southwest of Vanceburg, KY, at 11:35 pm EST on 10 March 2023 (04:35 UTC), 17 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 20 km SSW of Vanceburg, Kentucky

11:35 pm EST, Mar 10, 2023 · · 17 km deep · released about 58 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lewis County 12 kmRowan County 25 kmFleming County 29 kmCarter County 32 kmGreenup County 42 kmElliott County 42 kmMason County 43 kmBath County 44 kmAdams County 46 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
11:35 pm EST on 10 March 2023 ()
Where
20 km (12 mi) south-southwest of Vanceburg, KY · earthquakes near Vanceburg
Kentucky today
every earthquake in Kentucky in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.2 (md)
Depth
17 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Lewis County, 12 km N
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1332 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 27 km (17 mi) from the epicentre. In Vanceburg, 20 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: Olive Hill.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 58 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.2 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 260,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 180,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 16× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.2 about 58 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 38.4245, -83.3778. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lewis County, KY 12 km (8 mi) N earthquakes near Lewis County
Rowan County, KY 25 km (15 mi) S earthquakes near Rowan County
Fleming County, KY 29 km (18 mi) WSW earthquakes near Fleming County
Carter County, KY 32 km (20 mi) ESE earthquakes near Carter County
Greenup County, KY 42 km (26 mi) ENE earthquakes near Greenup County
Elliott County, KY 42 km (26 mi) SE earthquakes near Elliott County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.7 15 km E of Flemingsburg, Kentucky
  2. 2.2 2 km SSE of Concord, Kentucky
  3. 2.2 7 km WSW of Vanceburg, Kentucky
  4. 2.4 8 km SSE of Flemingsburg, Kentucky
  5. 2.4 9 km NW of Olive Hill, Kentucky
  6. 2.2 3 km SSW of Bentonville, Ohio
  7. 2.3 5 km WNW of Sandy Hook, Kentucky
  8. 2.5 3 km SW of Old Washington, Kentucky

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.