QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.7ml

Earthquake near Olathe, CO

No earthquake was likely felt in Olathe in the 24 hours to 2:51 pm MST (21:51 UTC). The last one was M 5.0, 689 km (428 mi) ESE, at 4:21 am MDT on 23 July 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 499 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Olathe

This page: a magnitude 2.7 earthquake was recorded 15 km (9 mi) east-northeast of Olathe, CO, at 1:28 am MST on 11 November 2016 (08:28 UTC), 3.3 km deep. 3 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 14 km ENE of Olathe, Colorado

1:28 am MST, Nov 11, 2016 · · 3.3 km deep · released about 340 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Delta County 22 kmMontrose County 47 kmOuray County 57 kmMesa County 67 kmGunnison County 67 kmSan Miguel County 89 kmSan Juan County 99 kmPitkin County 100 kmHinsdale County 103 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
1:28 am MST on 11 November 2016 ()
Where
15 km (9 mi) east-northeast of Olathe, CO · earthquakes near Olathe
Magnitude
M 2.7 (ml)
Depth
3.3 km below the surface
Felt
3 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Delta County, 22 km N
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3563 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 25 km (16 mi) from the epicentre. In Olathe, 15 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: Montrose, Orchard City, Delta, Cedaredge.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 340 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 45,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 32,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 2.8× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.7 about 340 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 lists one earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.5 15 km E of Colona, Colorado · 45 km SSE of this epicentre

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 38.6642, -107.8327. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Delta County, CO 22 km (14 mi) N earthquakes near Delta County
Montrose County, CO 47 km (29 mi) SW earthquakes near Montrose County
Ouray County, CO 57 km (35 mi) S earthquakes near Ouray County
Mesa County, CO 67 km (42 mi) NW earthquakes near Mesa County
Gunnison County, CO 67 km (42 mi) E earthquakes near Gunnison County
San Miguel County, CO 89 km (56 mi) SW earthquakes near San Miguel 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. 1.5 13 km ENE of Paonia, Colorado
  2. 2.1 20 km WNW of Delta, Colorado
  3. 2.5 26 km WNW of Delta, Colorado
  4. 1.9 11 km E of Paonia, Colorado
  5. 1.6 9 km ESE of Paonia, Colorado
  6. 1.8 11 km NNE of Paonia, Colorado
  7. 1.5 22 km WNW of Delta, Colorado
  8. 2.9 17 km E of Paonia, 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.