QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.9ml

Earthquake near Pueblo, CO

No earthquake was likely felt in Pueblo in the 24 hours to 5:30 am MST (12:30 UTC). The last one was M 3.4, 135 km (84 mi) SSW, at 3:34 am MST on 8 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 2 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Pueblo

This page: a magnitude 2.9 earthquake was recorded 21 km (13 mi) west-southwest of Pueblo, CO, at 1:12 am MDT on 24 August 2016 (07:12 UTC), 2.5 km deep. 4 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 16 km ENE of Beulah Valley, Colorado

80 km (49 mi) S of Colorado Springs, CO · 21 km (13 mi) SW of Pueblo, CO

1:12 am MDT, Aug 24, 2016 · · 2.5 km deep · released about 680 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Pueblo County 28 kmCuster County 50 kmHuerfano County 53 kmFremont County 64 kmEl Paso County 79 kmTeller County 86 kmCrowley County 92 kmOtero County 100 kmAlamosa County 108 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
1:12 am MDT on 24 August 2016 ()
Where
21 km (13 mi) west-southwest of Pueblo, CO · earthquakes near Pueblo
Magnitude
M 2.9 (ml)
Depth
2.5 km below the surface
Felt
4 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Pueblo County, 28 km E
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3644 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 67 km (42 mi) from the epicentre. In Pueblo, 21 km away, the estimate is intensity III (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: Pueblo West, Colorado City.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 680 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 22,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 16,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 1.4× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.9 about 680 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 38.1524, -104.8066. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Pueblo County, CO 28 km (18 mi) E earthquakes near Pueblo County
Custer County, CO 50 km (31 mi) W earthquakes near Custer County
Huerfano County, CO 53 km (33 mi) SSW earthquakes near Huerfano County
Fremont County, CO 64 km (40 mi) WNW earthquakes near Fremont County
El Paso County, CO 79 km (49 mi) NNE earthquakes near El Paso County
Teller County, CO 86 km (54 mi) NNW earthquakes near Teller County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.5 12 km NNW of Walsenburg, Colorado
  2. 2.4 15 km ENE of Colorado City, Colorado
  3. 1.8 21 km WSW of Beulah Valley, Colorado
  4. 2.6 21 km ESE of Colorado City, Colorado
  5. 1.6 16 km E of Colorado City, Colorado
  6. 1.6 13 km ENE of Colorado City, Colorado
  7. 2.2 14 km E of Colorado City, Colorado
  8. 2.3 14 km E of Colorado City, Colorado
  9. 2.4 13 km E of Colorado City, Colorado
  10. 1.9 5 km NNW of Vineland, Colorado

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.