QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9ml

Earthquake near Pueblo, CO

No earthquake was likely felt in Pueblo in the 24 hours to 5:29 am MST (12:29 UTC). The last one was M 3.4, 135 km (84 mi) SSW, at 3:34 am MST on 8 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 2 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Pueblo

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 11 km (7 mi) east-northeast of Pueblo, CO, at 8:39 am MST on 18 February 2021 (15:39 UTC), 5.0 km deep.

USGS: 5 km NNW of Vineland, Colorado

11 km (7 mi) ENE of Pueblo, CO

8:39 am MST, Feb 18, 2021 · · 5.0 km deep · released about 21 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Pueblo County 14 kmEl Paso County 60 kmCrowley County 63 kmHuerfano County 79 kmCuster County 80 kmOtero County 81 kmFremont County 84 kmTeller County 88 kmLas Animas County 115 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
8:39 am MST on 18 February 2021 ()
Where
11 km (7 mi) east-northeast of Pueblo, CO · earthquakes near Pueblo
Magnitude
M 1.9 (ml)
Depth
5.0 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Pueblo County, 14 km S
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2028 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 Pueblo, 11 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: Pueblo West.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 21 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 710,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 500,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 45× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 21 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 38.2907, -104.4898. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Pueblo County, CO 14 km (9 mi) S earthquakes near Pueblo County
El Paso County, CO 60 km (37 mi) N earthquakes near El Paso County
Crowley County, CO 63 km (39 mi) E earthquakes near Crowley County
Huerfano County, CO 79 km (49 mi) SSW earthquakes near Huerfano County
Custer County, CO 80 km (50 mi) WSW earthquakes near Custer County
Otero County, CO 81 km (50 mi) ESE earthquakes near Otero County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.7 16 km NNW of Olney Springs, Colorado
  2. 2.4 15 km ENE of Colorado City, Colorado
  3. 2.6 21 km ESE of Colorado City, Colorado
  4. 1.8 11 km ESE of Boone, Colorado
  5. 1.6 16 km E of Colorado City, Colorado
  6. 1.6 13 km ENE of Colorado City, Colorado
  7. 2.2 14 km E of Colorado City, Colorado
  8. 2.3 14 km E of Colorado City, Colorado
  9. 2.4 13 km E of Colorado City, Colorado
  10. 1.8 11 km SSW of Fowler, Colorado
  11. 1.8 6 km WSW of Fowler, Colorado

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.