QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8ml

Earthquake near Harper, KS

No earthquake was likely felt in Harper in the 24 hours to 8:46 am CST (14:46 UTC). The last one was M 3.4, 186 km (116 mi) S, at 5:53 am CST on 7 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 23 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Harper

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 9 km (5 mi) east-northeast of Harper, KS, at 1:11 am CST on 23 February 2019 (07:11 UTC), 5.5 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 4 km NW of Danville, Kansas

67 km (41 mi) SW of Wichita, KS

1:11 am CST, Feb 23, 2019 · · 5.5 km deep · released about 15 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Harper County 18 kmKingman County 33 kmSumner County 40 kmSedgwick County 58 kmGrant County 59 kmBarber County 67 kmReno County 72 kmAlfalfa County 73 kmPratt County 81 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
1:11 am CST on 23 February 2019 ()
Where
9 km (5 mi) east-northeast of Harper, KS · earthquakes near Harper
Magnitude
M 1.8 (ml)
Depth
5.5 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Harper County, 18 km SW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2741 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 16 km (10 mi) from the epicentre. In Harper, 9 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: Anthony, Conway Springs.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 15 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,000,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 710,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 63× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.8 about 15 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 37.3102, -97.9303. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Harper County, KS 18 km (11 mi) SW earthquakes near Harper County
Kingman County, KS 33 km (20 mi) NW earthquakes near Kingman County
Sumner County, KS 40 km (25 mi) ESE earthquakes near Sumner County
Sedgwick County, KS 58 km (36 mi) NE earthquakes near Sedgwick County
Grant County, OK 59 km (37 mi) SSE earthquakes near Grant County
Barber County, KS 67 km (42 mi) W earthquakes near Barber County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.9 Kansas
  2. 1.9 2 km SSE of Bluff City, Kansas
  3. 1.8 3 km ENE of Freeport, Kansas
  4. 1.6 3 km ENE of Freeport, Kansas
  5. 2.4 0 km S of Manchester, Oklahoma
  6. 2.4 6 km S of Harper, Kansas
  7. 2.3 9 km SSE of Milan, Kansas
  8. 2.7 10 km SSE of Milan, Kansas
  9. 2.5 4 km SSW of Harper, Kansas
  10. 1.9 4 km S of Harper, Kansas
  11. 1.9 2 km SE of Milan, Kansas
  12. 1.5 4 km WNW of Danville, Kansas
  13. 1.8 9 km W of Bluff City, Kansas
  14. 1.7 7 km ENE of Bluff City, Kansas
  15. 1.8 9 km W of Bluff City, Kansas

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.