QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 4.1mwr

Earthquake near Battlement Mesa, CO

No earthquake was likely felt in Battlement Mesa in the 24 hours to 1:27 pm MST (20:27 UTC). The last one was M 5.0, 734 km (456 mi) ESE, at 4:21 am MDT on 23 July 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 499 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Battlement Mesa

This page: a magnitude 4.1 earthquake was recorded 46 km (29 mi) northwest of Battlement Mesa, CO, at 4:02 am MDT on 24 August 2018 (10:02 UTC), 6.0 km deep. 182 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 43 km NW of Parachute, Colorado

4:02 am MDT, Aug 24, 2018 · · 6.0 km deep · released about 21 tons of TNT

Every earthquake near Battlement Mesa Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Rio Blanco County 30 kmGarfield County 44 kmMesa County 81 kmMoffat County 97 kmUintah County 105 kmDelta County 109 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
4:02 am MDT on 24 August 2018 ()
Where
46 km (29 mi) northwest of Battlement Mesa, CO · earthquakes near Battlement Mesa
Magnitude
M 4.1 (mwr)
Depth
6.0 km below the surface
Felt
182 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Measured shaking
intensity V (ShakeMap)
USGS impact alert
green
Nearest
Rio Blanco County, 30 km NNE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1625 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 104 km (65 mi) from the epicentre. In Battlement Mesa, 46 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.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 21 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 5.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 7,900× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 350× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 250× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 4.1 about 21 tons of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 45× 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 (31 mi) since our catalogue begins in 2016. No other earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded this close in that time.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists one earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.4 46 km NW of Parachute, Colorado · 5 km NNE of this epicentre

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 39.7504, -108.3896. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Rio Blanco County, CO 30 km (18 mi) NNE earthquakes near Rio Blanco County
Garfield County, CO 44 km (28 mi) ESE earthquakes near Garfield County
Mesa County, CO 81 km (51 mi) S earthquakes near Mesa County
Moffat County, CO 97 km (60 mi) N earthquakes near Moffat County
Uintah County, UT 105 km (65 mi) WNW earthquakes near Uintah County
Delta County, CO 109 km (68 mi) SSE earthquakes near Delta County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.8 29 km WNW of De Beque, Colorado
  2. 1.7 24 km NNE of Loma, Colorado
  3. 2.0 28 km ESE of Rangely, Colorado
  4. 2.5 Colorado
  5. 1.5 28 km NW of De Beque, Colorado
  6. 1.7 11 km NE of Battlement Mesa, Colorado
  7. 1.6 35 km NNE of Loma, Colorado
  8. 3.0 25 km SSW of Rangely, Colorado
  9. 2.7 26 km NNE of Loma, Colorado
  10. 2.6 28 km NNE of Fruita, Colorado
  11. 2.6 24 km NNW of Parachute, Colorado
  12. 2.7 24 km NW of Rifle, Colorado
  13. 2.4 23 km NNW of Parachute, Colorado
  14. 3.4 44 km NW of Parachute, Colorado
  15. 2.8 44 km NW of Parachute, 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.