QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.8mb_lg

Earthquake near Mankato, MN

No earthquake was likely felt in Mankato in the 24 hours to 6:58 am CST (12:58 UTC). The last one was M 2.8, 3 km (2 mi) N, at 11:02 am CDT on 25 April 2017, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 106 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Mankato

This page: a magnitude 2.8 earthquake was recorded 3 km (2 mi) north of Mankato, MN, at 11:02 am CDT on 25 April 2017 (16:02 UTC), less than 1 km deep. 106 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: Near Mankato, Minnesota

11:02 am CDT, Apr 25, 2017 · · 0.0 km deep · released about 480 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Blue Earth County 18 kmNicollet County 27 kmLe Sueur County 30 kmWaseca County 38 kmSibley County 47 kmWatonwan County 54 kmFaribault County 57 kmBrown County 59 kmRice County 59 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
11:02 am CDT on 25 April 2017 ()
Where
3 km (2 mi) north of Mankato, MN · earthquakes near Mankato
Magnitude
M 2.8 (mb_lg)
Depth
0.0 km below the surface
Felt
106 reports · strongest reported intensity V
Nearest
Blue Earth County, 18 km SSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 943 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 62 km (39 mi) from the epicentre. In Mankato, 3 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: North Mankato, Eagle Lake, Madison Lake, Saint Peter, Nicollet, Lake Crystal.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 480 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 32,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 22,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 2× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.8 about 480 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 44.1880, -94.0040. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Blue Earth County, MN 18 km (11 mi) SSW earthquakes near Blue Earth County
Nicollet County, MN 27 km (17 mi) NW earthquakes near Nicollet County
Le Sueur County, MN 30 km (19 mi) NE earthquakes near Le Sueur County
Waseca County, MN 38 km (24 mi) ESE earthquakes near Waseca County
Sibley County, MN 47 km (29 mi) NNW earthquakes near Sibley County
Watonwan County, MN 54 km (34 mi) WSW earthquakes near Watonwan County

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

Aftershocks so far

No further earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

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.