QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.6ml

Earthquake near Lincoln, MT

No earthquake was likely felt in Lincoln in the 24 hours to 4:50 pm MST (23:50 UTC). The last one was M 3.1, 40 km (25 mi) WNW, at 8:34 pm MDT on 4 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 4 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Lincoln

This page: a magnitude 2.6 earthquake was recorded 16 km (10 mi) southeast of Lincoln, MT, at 10:11 pm MDT on 26 August 2017 (04:11 UTC), 12 km deep.

USGS: 15 km SE of Lincoln, Montana

10:11 pm MDT, Aug 26, 2017 · · 12 km deep · released about 240 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Lincoln Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lewis and Clark County 31 kmPowell County 31 kmGranite County 86 kmJefferson County 90 kmDeer Lodge County 98 kmBroadwater County 98 kmCascade County 102 kmMissoula County 105 kmTeton County 108 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
10:11 pm MDT on 26 August 2017 ()
Where
16 km (10 mi) southeast of Lincoln, MT · earthquakes near Lincoln
Montana today
every earthquake in Montana in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.6 (ml)
Depth
12 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Lewis and Clark County, 31 km NNE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3270 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 21 km (13 mi) from the epicentre. In Lincoln, 16 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: Lincoln 16 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 240 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 63,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 45,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 4× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.6 about 240 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 5.8 on 2017-07-06 — about 63,000 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 2 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.9 2 km ENE of Helena, Montana · 50 km SE of this epicentre
  2. 5.0 2 km ENE of Helena, Montana · 50 km SE 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 46.8636, -112.5250. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lewis and Clark County, MT 31 km (19 mi) NNE earthquakes near Lewis and Clark County
Powell County, MT 31 km (19 mi) W earthquakes near Powell County
Granite County, MT 86 km (54 mi) SW earthquakes near Granite County
Jefferson County, MT 90 km (56 mi) SSE earthquakes near Jefferson County
Deer Lodge County, MT 98 km (61 mi) SSW earthquakes near Deer Lodge County
Broadwater County, MT 98 km (61 mi) SE earthquakes near Broadwater County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 17 km NW of Marysville, Montana
  2. 1.6 14 km ESE of Lincoln, Montana
  3. 1.5 14 km SE of Lincoln, Montana
  4. 1.9 15 km SE of Lincoln, Montana
  5. 2.6 7 km N of Marysville, Montana
  6. 1.7 7 km W of Helena West Side, Montana
  7. 2.8 14 km ESE of Lincoln, Montana
  8. 2.3 18 km SE of Lincoln, Montana
  9. 1.9 15 km ESE of Lincoln, Montana
  10. 1.6 15 km SE of Lincoln, Montana
  11. 1.6 15 km SE of Lincoln, Montana
  12. 1.6 14 km SE of Lincoln, Montana
  13. 2.0 15 km SE of Lincoln, Montana
  14. 1.7 15 km SE of Lincoln, Montana
  15. 1.8 15 km SE of Lincoln, Montana

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.