QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.8ml

Earthquake near Union City, OK

No earthquake was likely felt in Union City in the 24 hours to 2:44 pm CST (20:44 UTC). The last one was M 3.4, 26 km (16 mi) NNW, at 5:53 am CST on 7 November 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 23 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Union City

This page: a magnitude 2.8 earthquake was recorded 4 km (3 mi) north-northeast of Union City, OK, at 5:55 pm CST on 12 December 2017 (23:55 UTC), 6.5 km deep. 5 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 4 km NNE of Union City, Oklahoma

37 km (23 mi) W of Oklahoma City, OK

5:55 pm CST, Dec 12, 2017 · · 6.5 km deep · released about 480 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Union City Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Canadian County 14 kmGrady County 45 kmOklahoma County 48 kmCaddo County 51 kmKingfisher County 58 kmCleveland County 59 kmMcClain County 62 kmBlaine County 68 kmLogan County 69 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
5:55 pm CST on 12 December 2017 ()
Where
4 km (3 mi) north-northeast of Union City, OK · earthquakes near Union City
Oklahoma today
every earthquake in Oklahoma in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.8 (ml)
Depth
6.5 km below the surface
Felt
5 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Canadian County, 14 km NNW
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 62 km (39 mi) from the epicentre. In Union City, 4 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: Union City 4 km, intensity III · El Reno 12 km, intensity III · Minco 13 km, intensity III · Yukon 17 km, intensity III · Tuttle 18 km, intensity III · Mustang 18 km, intensity III · Bethany 28 km, intensity III · Okarche 34 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 480 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 32,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 22,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 2× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.8 about 480 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 35.4245, -97.9176. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Canadian County, OK 14 km (9 mi) NNW earthquakes near Canadian County
Grady County, OK 45 km (28 mi) S earthquakes near Grady County
Oklahoma County, OK 48 km (30 mi) ENE earthquakes near Oklahoma County
Caddo County, OK 51 km (32 mi) SW earthquakes near Caddo County
Kingfisher County, OK 58 km (36 mi) N earthquakes near Kingfisher County
Cleveland County, OK 59 km (37 mi) ESE earthquakes near Cleveland County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.0 2 km SSW of Cole, Oklahoma
  2. 2.5 1 km SSE of Cole, Oklahoma
  3. 2.3 0 km SSW of Cole, Oklahoma
  4. 2.4 2 km NNW of Tuttle, Oklahoma
  5. 2.7 15 km W of Union City, Oklahoma
  6. 3.1 15 km W of Union City, Oklahoma
  7. 2.9 15 km W of Union City, Oklahoma
  8. 2.2 4 km W of Bridge Creek, Oklahoma
  9. 2.9 12 km WSW of Union City, Oklahoma
  10. 3.1 11 km WSW of Union City, Oklahoma
  11. 2.5 11 km WSW of Union City, Oklahoma
  12. 2.7 12 km WSW of Union City, Oklahoma
  13. 2.6 15 km W of Union City, Oklahoma
  14. 2.5 14 km W of Union City, Oklahoma
  15. 2.5 13 km W of Union City, 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.