QuakeIndex

mining explosion · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3ml

Earthquake near Sleepy Hollow, WY

No earthquake was likely felt in Sleepy Hollow in the 24 hours to 12:32 am MST (07:32 UTC). The last one was M 3.4, 38 km (23 mi) S, at 2:13 pm MDT on 6 July 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Sleepy Hollow

No: USGS classifies this as a mining explosion, not an earthquake. A magnitude 2.3 mining explosion was recorded 28 km (17 mi) southeast of Sleepy Hollow, WY, at 10:11 am MDT on 8 July 2018 (16:11 UTC), less than 1 km deep.

USGS: 28 km SSE of Sleepy Hollow, Wyoming

10:11 am MDT, Jul 8, 2018 · · 0.0 km deep · released about 85 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Campbell County 29 kmWeston County 56 kmCrook County 82 kmJohnson County 109 kmConverse County 118 kmLawrence County 119 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 am MDT on 8 July 2018 ()
Where
28 km (17 mi) southeast of Sleepy Hollow, WY · earthquakes near Sleepy Hollow
Magnitude
M 2.3 (ml)
Depth
0.0 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Campbell County, 29 km NW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2968 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 20 km (12 mi) from the epicentre. In Sleepy Hollow, 28 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: Antelope Valley-Crestview.

USGS catalogues this as mining explosion, not an earthquake.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 85 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.3 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 180,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 130,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 11× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 85 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 44.0281, -105.2274. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Campbell County, WY 29 km (18 mi) NW earthquakes near Campbell County
Weston County, WY 56 km (35 mi) ESE earthquakes near Weston County
Crook County, WY 82 km (51 mi) NE earthquakes near Crook County
Johnson County, WY 109 km (68 mi) W earthquakes near Johnson County
Converse County, WY 118 km (74 mi) SSW earthquakes near Converse County
Lawrence County, SD 119 km (74 mi) ENE earthquakes near Lawrence County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 3.4 12 km SE of Wright, Wyoming
  2. 3.2 11 km SSW of Wright, Wyoming
  3. 2.9 29 km ESE of Wright, Wyoming
  4. 3.5 11 km ENE of Wright, Wyoming
  5. 3.0 23 km NNE of Wright, Wyoming
  6. 3.4 22 km ESE of Wright, Wyoming
  7. 3.4 30 km ESE of Wright, Wyoming
  8. 3.3 17 km ESE of Wright, Wyoming
  9. 3.4 7 km NNE of Wright, Wyoming
  10. 3.3 31 km ESE of Wright, Wyoming
  11. 3.1 23 km S of Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming
  12. 3.4 13 km ENE of Wright, Wyoming
  13. 3.4 15 km N of Wright, Wyoming
  14. 3.3 18 km SE of Wright, Wyoming
  15. 3.2 29 km SSE of Sleepy Hollow, Wyoming

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.