QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9ml

Earthquake near Greeley, CO

No earthquake was likely felt in Greeley in the 24 hours to 1:19 pm MST (20:19 UTC). The last one was M 5.0, 599 km (372 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 Greeley

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 6 km (3 mi) east-northeast of Greeley, CO, at 12:16 am MDT on 27 March 2017 (06:16 UTC), 8.0 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 5 km ENE of Greeley, Colorado

11 km (7 mi) ENE of Greeley, CO

12:16 am MDT, Mar 27, 2017 · · 8.0 km deep · released about 21 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Weld County 26 kmBroomfield County 65 kmAdams County 69 kmMorgan County 74 kmLarimer County 74 kmBoulder County 75 kmDenver County 79 kmArapahoe County 94 kmLaramie County 94 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
12:16 am MDT on 27 March 2017 ()
Where
6 km (3 mi) east-northeast of Greeley, CO · earthquakes near Greeley
Magnitude
M 1.9 (ml)
Depth
8.0 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Weld County, 26 km ENE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3436 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 19 km (12 mi) from the epicentre. In Greeley, 6 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: Evans, Eaton, Kersey, La Salle, Ault, Severance.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 21 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 710,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 500,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 45× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 21 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 40.4493, -104.6523. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Weld County, CO 26 km (16 mi) ENE earthquakes near Weld County
Broomfield County, CO 65 km (40 mi) SSW earthquakes near Broomfield County
Adams County, CO 69 km (43 mi) SSE earthquakes near Adams County
Morgan County, CO 74 km (46 mi) ESE earthquakes near Morgan County
Larimer County, CO 74 km (46 mi) WNW earthquakes near Larimer County
Boulder County, CO 75 km (46 mi) WSW earthquakes near Boulder County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.3 2 km SW of Gilcrest, Colorado
  2. 2.3 4 km ENE of Greeley, Colorado
  3. 1.9 8 km ENE of Greeley, Colorado
  4. 2.9 7 km NE of Greeley, Colorado
  5. 2.3 8 km ENE of Greeley, Colorado
  6. 1.7 7 km ENE of Greeley, Colorado
  7. 2.3 8 km ENE of Greeley, Colorado
  8. 2.1 5 km NE of Greeley, 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.