QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1ml

19 km WNW of Naturita, Colorado

Yes. A magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 19 km WNW of Naturita, Colorado, at 4:59 am MST on 3 February 2020 (11:59 UTC), 5.7 km deep.

· 5.7 km deep · released about 43 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N San Miguel County 42 kmMontrose County 48 kmDolores County 64 kmOuray County 88 kmMesa County 89 kmDelta County 104 kmGrand County 104 kmMontezuma County 104 kmSan Juan County 112 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
Magnitude
M 2.1 (ml)
Depth
5.7 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
San Miguel County, 42 km SE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2398 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. 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.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 43 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 350,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 250,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 22× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 43 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

The largest earthquake within 50 km since 2016 was M 4.5 on 2019-03-04 — about 3,800 times the energy of this one.

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 38.2651, -108.7878. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
San Miguel County, CO 42 km (26 mi) SE earthquakes near San Miguel County
Montrose County, CO 48 km (30 mi) ENE earthquakes near Montrose County
Dolores County, CO 64 km (40 mi) SSE earthquakes near Dolores County
Ouray County, CO 88 km (55 mi) E earthquakes near Ouray County
Mesa County, CO 89 km (55 mi) NNE earthquakes near Mesa County
Delta County, CO 104 km (65 mi) NE earthquakes near Delta County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.5 26 km ESE of La Sal, Utah
  2. 2.0 29 km E of La Sal, Utah
  3. 1.6 28 km ESE of La Sal, Utah
  4. 2.1 28 km E of La Sal, Utah
  5. 2.2 28 km E of La Sal, Utah
  6. 2.0 28 km E of La Sal, Utah
  7. 2.1 28 km E of La Sal, Utah
  8. 1.6 30 km E of La Sal, Utah
  9. 1.5 29 km E of La Sal, Utah
  10. 1.5 29 km E of La Sal, Utah
  11. 2.1 20 km WSW of Naturita, Colorado
  12. 1.7 28 km E of La Sal, Utah
  13. 2.3 29 km E of La Sal, UT
  14. 1.9 28 km E of La Sal, Utah
  15. 1.7 28 km E of La Sal, Utah

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.