QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.7ml

Earthquake near Steamboat Springs, CO

No earthquake was likely felt in Steamboat Springs in the 24 hours to 9:18 pm MST (04:18 UTC). The last one was M 5.0, 722 km (449 mi) SE, at 4:21 am MDT on 23 July 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 499 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Steamboat Springs

This page: a magnitude 2.7 earthquake was recorded 42 km (26 mi) east-northeast of Steamboat Springs, CO, at 6:59 am MDT on 21 June 2018 (12:59 UTC), 1.6 km deep.

USGS: 16 km SSW of Walden, Colorado

6:59 am MDT, Jun 21, 2018 · · 1.6 km deep · released about 340 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Jackson County 8 kmRoutt County 54 kmGrand County 58 kmLarimer County 74 kmBoulder County 99 kmGilpin County 109 kmSummit County 111 kmEagle County 112 kmClear Creek County 117 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
6:59 am MDT on 21 June 2018 ()
Where
42 km (26 mi) east-northeast of Steamboat Springs, CO · earthquakes near Steamboat Springs
Magnitude
M 2.7 (ml)
Depth
1.6 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Jackson County, 8 km NNE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2977 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 Steamboat Springs, 42 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.

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 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 40.6011, -106.3648. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Jackson County, CO 8 km (5 mi) NNE earthquakes near Jackson County
Routt County, CO 54 km (34 mi) WSW earthquakes near Routt County
Grand County, CO 58 km (36 mi) SSE earthquakes near Grand County
Larimer County, CO 74 km (46 mi) E earthquakes near Larimer County
Boulder County, CO 99 km (62 mi) SE earthquakes near Boulder County
Gilpin County, CO 109 km (68 mi) SE earthquakes near Gilpin County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.7 15 km SSW of Walden, Colorado
  2. 1.7 11 km SSW of Walden, Colorado
  3. 1.7 26 km W of Walden, Colorado
  4. 2.0 22 km WSW of Walden, Colorado
  5. 2.6 17 km SW of Walden, 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.