QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.8mb_lg

Earthquake near Marion, KS

USGS: 11 km SSE of Lincolnville, Kansas

88 km (55 mi) NNE of Wichita, KS

11:45 pm CST, Jan 28, 2020 · · 5.0 km deep · released about 480 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Marion County 19 kmChase County 28 kmMorris County 38 kmDickinson County 57 kmHarvey County 61 kmLyon County 64 kmMcPherson County 66 kmGeary County 68 kmButler County 70 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
11:45 pm CST on 28 January 2020 ()
Where
12 km (8 mi) ENE of Marion, KS · earthquakes near Marion
Magnitude
M 2.8 (mb_lg)
Depth
5.0 km below the surface
Felt
44 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Marion County, 19 km WSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2358 days ago

A magnitude 2.8 earthquake was recorded 12 km (8 mi) ENE of Marion, KS, at 11:45 pm CST on 28 January 2020 (05:45 UTC). 44 people have reported feeling it to USGS. This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Hillsboro.

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 38.3997, -96.8942. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Marion County, KS 19 km (12 mi) WSW earthquakes near Marion County
Chase County, KS 28 km (18 mi) ESE earthquakes near Chase County
Morris County, KS 38 km (24 mi) NNE earthquakes near Morris County
Dickinson County, KS 57 km (35 mi) NNW earthquakes near Dickinson County
Harvey County, KS 61 km (38 mi) SW earthquakes near Harvey County
Lyon County, KS 64 km (40 mi) E earthquakes near Lyon 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. 2.5 5 km SW of Hope, Kansas
  2. 2.6 6 km NW of Ramona, Kansas
  3. 2.4 5 km NE of Hope, Kansas
  4. 3.5 5 km NNW of Herington, Kansas
  5. 2.6 7 km ESE of Marion, Kansas
  6. 3.5 6 km WSW of Woodbine, Kansas
  7. 2.7 6 km NE of Cedar Point, Kansas
  8. 2.4 2 km S of Marion, Kansas
  9. 2.4 14 km ESE of Lincolnville, Kansas
  10. 2.5 13 km ENE of Marion, Kansas
  11. 2.3 11 km N of Hope, Kansas
  12. 2.5 14 km SE of Lincolnville, Kansas
  13. 2.3 14 km N of Cedar Point, Kansas
  14. 3.2 13 km SE of Lincolnville, Kansas
  15. 2.5 12 km SE of Lincolnville, 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.