QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9ml

Earthquake near Wichita, KS

No earthquake was likely felt in Wichita in the 24 hours to 10:51 am CST (16:51 UTC). The last one was M 3.4, 240 km (149 mi) SSW, at 5:53 am CST on 7 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 23 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Wichita

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 10 km (6 mi) east-northeast of Wichita, KS, at 10:46 pm CDT on 24 April 2021 (03:46 UTC), 5.0 km deep. 5 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 4 km NE of Eastborough, Kansas

11 km (7 mi) ENE of Wichita, KS

10:46 pm CDT, Apr 24, 2021 · · 5.0 km deep · released about 21 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Sedgwick County 21 kmButler County 34 kmHarvey County 41 kmSumner County 58 kmCowley County 64 kmMarion County 72 kmReno County 79 kmKingman County 83 kmMcPherson County 84 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
10:46 pm CDT on 24 April 2021 ()
Where
10 km (6 mi) east-northeast of Wichita, KS · earthquakes near Wichita
Magnitude
M 1.9 (ml)
Depth
5.0 km below the surface
Felt
5 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Sedgwick County, 21 km W
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1953 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 Wichita, 10 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.

Likely felt in: Andover 8 km, intensity II · Wichita 10 km, intensity II · Derby 19 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

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 37.7168, -97.2245. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Sedgwick County, KS 21 km (13 mi) W earthquakes near Sedgwick County
Butler County, KS 34 km (21 mi) E earthquakes near Butler County
Harvey County, KS 41 km (26 mi) NNW earthquakes near Harvey County
Sumner County, KS 58 km (36 mi) SSW earthquakes near Sumner County
Cowley County, KS 64 km (40 mi) SSE earthquakes near Cowley County
Marion County, KS 72 km (45 mi) N earthquakes near Marion County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.1 4 km SSE of Cheney, Kansas
  2. 2.3 6 km SW of Goddard, Kansas
  3. 2.3 7 km NNE of Rose Hill, Kansas
  4. 2.3 4 km ENE of Eastborough, Kansas
  5. 2.4 9 km NW of Viola, Kansas
  6. 2.5 2 km NW of McConnell AFB, Kansas
  7. 2.3 3 km NE of Cheney, Kansas
  8. 2.1 1 km E of Eastborough, Kansas
  9. 2.0 2 km NNE of Eastborough, Kansas
  10. 2.5 4 km E of Eastborough, Kansas
  11. 2.8 5 km NE of Eastborough, Kansas
  12. 1.9 3 km NE of Eastborough, 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.