QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 4.2mwr

Earthquake near Raton, NM

No earthquake was likely felt in Raton in the 24 hours to 2:18 am MST (09:18 UTC). The last one was M 3.4, 53 km (33 mi) WNW, at 3:34 am MST on 8 November 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 2 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Raton

This page: a magnitude 4.2 earthquake was recorded 46 km (29 mi) west-southwest of Raton, NM, at 12:31 pm MST on 23 December 2016 (19:31 UTC), 3.5 km deep. 24 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 27 km N of Cimarron, New Mexico

12:31 pm MST, Dec 23, 2016 · · 3.5 km deep · released about 30 tons of TNT

Every earthquake near Raton Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Colfax County 30 kmTaos County 67 kmCostilla County 73 kmMora County 86 kmLas Animas County 100 kmHuerfano County 104 kmAlamosa County 118 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
12:31 pm MST on 23 December 2016 ()
Where
46 km (29 mi) west-southwest of Raton, NM · earthquakes near Raton
Magnitude
M 4.2 (mwr)
Depth
3.5 km below the surface
Felt
24 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Measured shaking
intensity V (ShakeMap)
USGS impact alert
green
Nearest
Colfax County, 30 km ESE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3519 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 521 km (324 mi) from the epicentre. In Raton, 46 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: Raton 46 km, intensity IV. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 30 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 5.2 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 5,600× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 250× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 180× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 4.2 about 30 tons of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 63× 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 in our catalogue was M 4.0 on 2016-02-06.

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 36.7571, -104.9277. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Colfax County, NM 30 km (19 mi) ESE earthquakes near Colfax County
Taos County, NM 67 km (41 mi) WSW earthquakes near Taos County
Costilla County, CO 73 km (45 mi) NW earthquakes near Costilla County
Mora County, NM 86 km (53 mi) S earthquakes near Mora County
Las Animas County, CO 100 km (62 mi) NE earthquakes near Las Animas County
Huerfano County, CO 104 km (64 mi) N earthquakes near Huerfano 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. 3.1 16 km S of Stonewall Gap, Colorado
  2. 1.7 9 km SSW of Stonewall Gap, Colorado
  3. 2.7 11 km SW of Weston, Colorado
  4. 1.7 13 km SSE of Stonewall Gap, Colorado
  5. 3.1 27 km S of Weston, Colorado
  6. 2.6 28 km S of Weston, Colorado
  7. 2.7 28 km SSW of Sequndo, Colorado
  8. 2.7 26 km S of Segundo, Colorado
  9. 1.5 11 km SSE of Stonewall Gap, Colorado
  10. 1.5 13 km SSE of Stonewall Gap, Colorado
  11. 1.9 16 km SSW of Weston, Colorado
  12. 1.6 17 km SSW of Weston, Colorado
  13. 1.5 13 km SSE of Stonewall Gap, Colorado
  14. 2.0 13 km SSE of Stonewall Gap, Colorado
  15. 1.6 12 km SSE of Stonewall Gap, 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.