QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 3.2ml

Earthquake near Caldwell, KS

No earthquake was likely felt in Caldwell in the 24 hours to 8:44 am CST (14:44 UTC). The last one was M 3.4, 163 km (101 mi) SSW, at 5:53 am CST on 7 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 23 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Caldwell

This page: a magnitude 3.2 earthquake was recorded 13 km (8 mi) south-southwest of Caldwell, KS, at 2:12 am CST on 7 November 2017 (08:12 UTC), 8.4 km deep. 5 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 1 km SE of Renfrow, Oklahoma

90 km (56 mi) SSW of Wichita, KS

2:12 am CST, Nov 7, 2017 · · 8.4 km deep · released about 1,900 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Grant County 19 kmSumner County 38 kmKay County 46 kmHarper County 48 kmGarfield County 61 kmAlfalfa County 64 kmNoble County 70 kmCowley County 80 kmKingman County 83 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
2:12 am CST on 7 November 2017 ()
Where
13 km (8 mi) south-southwest of Caldwell, KS · earthquakes near Caldwell
Oklahoma today
every earthquake in Oklahoma in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 3.2 (ml)
Depth
8.4 km below the surface
Felt
5 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Grant County, 19 km SW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1557 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 190 km (118 mi) from the epicentre. In Caldwell, 13 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.

Likely felt in: Caldwell 13 km, intensity III · Blackwell 35 km, intensity III · Anthony 43 km, intensity III · Wellington 46 km, intensity III. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 1,900 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 4.2 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 180,000× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 7,900× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 5,600× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 3.2 about 1,900 lb of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 2× 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 since 2016 was M 4.3 on 2017-09-08 — about 45 times the energy of this one.

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 36.9172, -97.6473. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Grant County, OK 19 km (12 mi) SW earthquakes near Grant County
Sumner County, KS 38 km (24 mi) NNE earthquakes near Sumner County
Kay County, OK 46 km (29 mi) ESE earthquakes near Kay County
Harper County, KS 48 km (30 mi) NW earthquakes near Harper County
Garfield County, OK 61 km (38 mi) SSW earthquakes near Garfield County
Alfalfa County, OK 64 km (40 mi) WSW earthquakes near Alfalfa County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.6 4 km E of Freeport, Kansas
  2. 1.6 8 km WSW of Hunnewell, Kansas
  3. 2.4 1 km S of Renfrow, Oklahoma
  4. 2.2 3 km E of Freeport, Kansas
  5. 1.5 9 km W of Bluff City, Kansas
  6. 2.8 1 km S of Renfrow, Oklahoma
  7. 1.7 4 km ENE of Danville, Kansas
  8. 1.5 7 km ENE of Renfrow, Oklahoma
  9. 1.6 8 km WSW of Hunnewell, Kansas
  10. 2.0 10 km N of Caldwell, Kansas
  11. 2.6 4 km SSE of Manchester, Oklahoma
  12. 1.9 2 km ESE of Mayfield, Kansas
  13. 2.6 2 km SW of Braman, Oklahoma
  14. 1.9 6 km NE of Renfrow, Oklahoma
  15. 2.9 8 km W of Deer Creek, 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.