QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.7ml

Earthquake near Woodward, OK

No earthquake was likely felt in Woodward in the 24 hours to 10:47 am CST (16:47 UTC). The last one was M 3.4, 152 km (94 mi) SE, at 5:53 am CST on 7 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 23 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Woodward

This page: a magnitude 2.7 earthquake was recorded 38 km (23 mi) east-northeast of Woodward, OK, at 3:34 pm CDT on 21 March 2018 (20:34 UTC), 6.4 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 9 km NE of Quinlan, Oklahoma

3:34 pm CDT, Mar 21, 2018 · · 6.4 km deep · released about 340 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Woodward Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Woods County 25 kmWoodward County 28 kmMajor County 46 kmDewey County 61 kmAlfalfa County 63 kmHarper County 68 kmEllis County 76 kmComanche County 77 kmBarber County 82 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
3:34 pm CDT on 21 March 2018 ()
Where
38 km (23 mi) east-northeast of Woodward, OK · earthquakes near Woodward
Oklahoma today
every earthquake in Oklahoma in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.7 (ml)
Depth
6.4 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Woods County, 25 km NNE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3068 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 56 km (35 mi) from the epicentre. In Woodward, 38 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.

Likely felt in: Mooreland 22 km, intensity III · Woodward 38 km, intensity II · Alva 42 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

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

The largest earthquake within 50 km since 2016 was M 5.1 on 2016-02-13 — about 4,000 times the energy of this one.

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 36.5242, -98.9847. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Woods County, OK 25 km (16 mi) NNE earthquakes near Woods County
Woodward County, OK 28 km (17 mi) WSW earthquakes near Woodward County
Major County, OK 46 km (29 mi) ESE earthquakes near Major County
Dewey County, OK 61 km (38 mi) S earthquakes near Dewey County
Alfalfa County, OK 63 km (39 mi) ENE earthquakes near Alfalfa County
Harper County, OK 68 km (42 mi) WNW earthquakes near Harper County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.6 17 km ESE of Waynoka, Oklahoma
  2. 2.6 17 km SE of Waynoka, Oklahoma
  3. 2.4 7 km NNE of Quinlan, Oklahoma
  4. 3.0 7 km NNE of Quinlan, Oklahoma
  5. 2.4 8 km NNE of Quinlan, Oklahoma
  6. 2.3 8 km NNE of Quinlan, Oklahoma
  7. 2.4 8 km NNE of Quinlan, Oklahoma
  8. 2.5 8 km NNE of Quinlan, Oklahoma
  9. 2.8 8 km NNE of Quinlan, Oklahoma
  10. 2.5 8 km NNE of Quinlan, Oklahoma
  11. 3.0 16 km SSE of Waynoka, Oklahoma
  12. 2.5 4 km SE of Avard, Oklahoma
  13. 3.2 3 km SSW of Alva, Oklahoma
  14. 2.9 9 km WSW of Waynoka, Oklahoma
  15. 3.1 5 km SE of Dacoma, Oklahoma

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.