QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.7ml

Earthquake near Telluride, CO

No earthquake was likely felt in Telluride in the 24 hours to 2:47 pm MST (21:47 UTC). The last one was M 3.4, 266 km (166 mi) ESE, at 3:34 am MST on 8 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 2 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Telluride

This page: a magnitude 2.7 earthquake was recorded 30 km (18 mi) west-southwest of Telluride, CO, at 7:26 pm MST on 9 December 2017 (02:26 UTC), 5.0 km deep.

USGS: 13 km NNW of Rico, Colorado

7:26 pm MST, Dec 9, 2017 · · 5.0 km deep · released about 340 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Dolores County 36 kmSan Miguel County 37 kmSan Juan County 38 kmOuray County 48 kmLa Plata County 62 kmHinsdale County 63 kmMontezuma County 67 kmMontrose County 69 kmMineral County 101 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
7:26 pm MST on 9 December 2017 ()
Where
30 km (18 mi) west-southwest of Telluride, CO · earthquakes near Telluride
Magnitude
M 2.7 (ml)
Depth
5.0 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Dolores County, 36 km WSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3173 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 24 km (15 mi) from the epicentre. In Telluride, 30 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: Mountain Village.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 340 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 45,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 32,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 2.8× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.7 about 340 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 37.8016, -108.1022. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Dolores County, CO 36 km (23 mi) WSW earthquakes near Dolores County
San Miguel County, CO 37 km (23 mi) NW earthquakes near San Miguel County
San Juan County, CO 38 km (24 mi) E earthquakes near San Juan County
Ouray County, CO 48 km (30 mi) NE earthquakes near Ouray County
La Plata County, CO 62 km (38 mi) SSE earthquakes near La Plata County
Hinsdale County, CO 63 km (39 mi) E earthquakes near Hinsdale County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.6 15 km SSW of Sawpit, Colorado
  2. 2.0 6 km NW of Rico, Colorado
  3. 1.8 16 km WSW of Loghill Village, Colorado
  4. 2.1 14 km S of Ophir, Colorado
  5. 2.2 16 km S of Ophir, Colorado
  6. 3.6 16 km S of Ophir, Colorado
  7. 2.2 Colorado
  8. 1.7 4 km WSW of Silverton, Colorado
  9. 1.6 19 km WNW of Rico, Colorado
  10. 3.1 14 km NNW of Rico, Colorado
  11. 2.5 14 km NNW of Rico, Colorado
  12. 2.9 11 km WNW of Rico, 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.