QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 4.0ml

Earthquake near Alva, OK

No earthquake was likely felt in Alva in the 24 hours to 3:49 pm CST (21:49 UTC). The last one was M 3.4, 144 km (90 mi) SSE, at 5:53 am CST on 7 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 23 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Alva

This page: a magnitude 4.0 earthquake was recorded 36 km (22 mi) south of Alva, OK, at 12:19 am CST on 6 January 2016 (06:19 UTC), 9.4 km deep. 16 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 16 km SE of Waynoka, Oklahoma

12:19 am CST, Jan 6, 2016 · · 9.4 km deep · released about 15 tons of TNT

Every earthquake near Alva Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Major County 26 kmWoods County 29 kmAlfalfa County 45 kmWoodward County 49 kmDewey County 62 kmBlaine County 73 kmBarber County 82 kmGarfield County 85 kmComanche County 90 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
12:19 am CST on 6 January 2016 ()
Where
36 km (22 mi) south of Alva, OK · earthquakes near Alva
Oklahoma today
every earthquake in Oklahoma in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 4.0 (ml)
Depth
9.4 km below the surface
Felt
16 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Measured shaking
intensity IV (ShakeMap)
USGS impact alert
green
Nearest
Major County, 26 km SE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1563 days ago

This was a light earthquake. It is usually felt clearly nearby and can rattle windows and dishes, but damage is uncommon.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 461 km (286 mi) from the epicentre. In Alva, 36 km away, the estimate is intensity IV (light). 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: Fairview 33 km, intensity IV · Alva 36 km, intensity IV · Helena 42 km, intensity III · Mooreland 43 km, intensity III · Cherokee 45 km, intensity III. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 15 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 5.0 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 11,000× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 500× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 350× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 4.0 about 15 tons of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 32× more

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

The largest earthquake within 50 km (31 mi) since our catalogue begins in 2016. No other earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded this close in that time.

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 36.4885, -98.7319. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Major County, OK 26 km (16 mi) SE earthquakes near Major County
Woods County, OK 29 km (18 mi) NNW earthquakes near Woods County
Alfalfa County, OK 45 km (28 mi) NE earthquakes near Alfalfa County
Woodward County, OK 49 km (30 mi) W earthquakes near Woodward County
Dewey County, OK 62 km (39 mi) SSW earthquakes near Dewey County
Blaine County, OK 73 km (45 mi) SSE earthquakes near Blaine County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 3.0 17 km SE of Waynoka, Oklahoma
  2. 3.0 17 km SE of Waynoka, Oklahoma
  3. 3.4 15 km SE of Waynoka, Oklahoma
  4. 2.5 16 km SE of Waynoka, Oklahoma
  5. 2.5 17 km ESE of Waynoka, Oklahoma
  6. 3.0 Oklahoma
  7. 2.7 4 km N of Cherokee, Oklahoma
  8. 2.5 16 km ESE of Waynoka, Oklahoma
  9. 2.8 17 km SE of Waynoka, Oklahoma
  10. 3.5 17 km ESE of Waynoka, Oklahoma
  11. 3.1 3 km N of Lambert, Oklahoma
  12. 3.1 5 km E of Carmen, Oklahoma
  13. 3.0 16 km SE of Waynoka, Oklahoma
  14. 2.7 17 km SE of Waynoka, Oklahoma
  15. 3.9 16 km ESE of Waynoka, 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.