Earthquake near Beloit, KS

USGS: 1 km NW of Mankato, Kansas

3:40 am CDT, Mar 17, 2017 · 2017-03-17 08:40 UTC · 10 km deep · released about 21 lb of TNT

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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: 3:40 am CDT on 17 March 2017 (2017-03-17 08:40 UTC)
Where: 39 km (24 mi) NNW of Beloit, KS · earthquakes near Beloit
Magnitude: M 1.9 (ml)
Depth: 10 km below the surface
Felt: no reports yet
Nearest: Jewell County, 2 km S
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS 3405 days ago · we first saw it 3405 days ago

A magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 39 km (24 mi) NNW of Beloit, KS, at 3:40 am CDT on 17 March 2017 (08:40 UTC). This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Superior.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 21 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 710,000× the energy of this one
Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 500,000× the energy of this one
Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 45× the energy of this one
This earthquake M 1.9 about 21 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

Map loads when it scrolls into view

Epicentre 39.7934, -98.2204. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

Place	Distance	Direction from the epicentre
Jewell County, KS	2 km (1 mi)	S	earthquakes near Jewell County
Mitchell County, KS	45 km (28 mi)	S	earthquakes near Mitchell County
Nuckolls County, NE	45 km (28 mi)	NNE	earthquakes near Nuckolls County
Smith County, KS	48 km (30 mi)	W	earthquakes near Smith County
Republic County, KS	49 km (30 mi)	E	earthquakes near Republic County
Webster County, NE	49 km (31 mi)	NNW	earthquakes near Webster 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.

2.5 15 km NNW of Cawker City, Kansas 13:20 UTC
2.6 9 km W of Webber, Kansas 08:57 UTC
3.1 11 km W of Webber, Kansas 11:11 UTC
2.6 12 km NNW of Cawker City, Kansas 02:54 UTC
2.6 13 km NNE of Downs, Kansas 06:13 UTC
2.8 10 km NNW of Cawker City, Kansas 05:54 UTC
2.6 11 km SE of Esbon, Kansas 22:11 UTC
3.5 Kansas 19:29 UTC
2.5 11 km SSE of Esbon, Kansas 09:22 UTC
2.6 Kansas 18:06 UTC
3.3 11 km SSE of Esbon, Kansas 12:57 UTC
2.9 11 km SSE of Esbon, Kansas 14:15 UTC
2.5 7 km SSE of Esbon, Kansas 15:38 UTC
2.6 11 km NNW of Cawker City, Kansas 08:24 UTC
2.7 12 km SSE of Esbon, Kansas 02:45 UTC

Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of 02:06 UTC. QuakeIndex does not forecast aftershocks. When USGS issues an operational aftershock forecast it appears on the USGS event page.

On USGS

The official USGS event page — the source of record for every value above
Did you feel it? Report it to USGS — reports go to USGS, not to us
ShakeMap for this event, when USGS has produced one

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.