QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.2mb_lg

Earthquake near Sulphur, OK

No earthquake was likely felt in Sulphur in the 24 hours to 5:21 pm CDT (22:21 UTC). The last one was M 2.8, 51 km (32 mi) W, at 8:41 pm CDT on 17 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 4 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Sulphur

This page: a magnitude 2.2 earthquake was recorded 18 km (11 mi) east-southeast of Sulphur, OK, at 4:23 pm CST on 28 January 2016 (22:23 UTC), 5.0 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 2 km NE of Mill Creek, Oklahoma

4:23 pm CST, Jan 28, 2016 · · 5.0 km deep · released about 60 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Johnston County 18 kmMurray County 25 kmPontotoc County 35 kmMarshall County 44 kmCarter County 48 kmCoal County 51 kmGarvin County 56 kmLove County 65 kmAtoka County 71 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
4:23 pm CST on 28 January 2016 ()
Where
18 km (11 mi) east-southeast of Sulphur, OK · earthquakes near Sulphur
Oklahoma today
every earthquake in Oklahoma in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.2 (mb_lg)
Depth
5.0 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Johnston County, 18 km SE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1541 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 32 km (20 mi) from the epicentre. In Sulphur, 18 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.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Tishomingo.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 60 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.2 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 250,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 180,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 16× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.2 about 60 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 34.4199, -96.8075. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Johnston County, OK 18 km (11 mi) SE earthquakes near Johnston County
Murray County, OK 25 km (16 mi) WNW earthquakes near Murray County
Pontotoc County, OK 35 km (22 mi) NNE earthquakes near Pontotoc County
Marshall County, OK 44 km (27 mi) S earthquakes near Marshall County
Carter County, OK 48 km (30 mi) WSW earthquakes near Carter County
Coal County, OK 51 km (32 mi) ENE earthquakes near Coal County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.9 10 km SE of Katie, Oklahoma
  2. 1.5 12 km W of Davis, Oklahoma
  3. 1.8 4 km SSW of Mill Creek, Oklahoma
  4. 1.6 2 km SW of Mill Creek, Oklahoma
  5. 2.0 3 km SSW of Mill Creek, Oklahoma
  6. 1.9 9 km SSE of Wapanucka, Oklahoma
  7. 1.6 8 km W of Stonewall, Oklahoma
  8. 1.6 12 km WNW of Caney, Oklahoma
  9. 1.5 2 km NW of Davis, Oklahoma
  10. 1.6 11 km SE of Katie, Oklahoma
  11. 1.7 1 km SSE of Mill Creek, Oklahoma
  12. 1.7 6 km N of Mill Creek, Oklahoma
  13. 1.5 3 km SE of Mill Creek, Oklahoma
  14. 1.9 3 km SW of Mill Creek, Oklahoma
  15. 2.1 11 km SE of Katie, 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.