QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.5mb_lg

Earthquake near McConnell AFB, KS

No earthquake was likely felt in McConnell AFB in the 24 hours to 8:12 am CST (14:12 UTC). The last one was M 3.4, 235 km (146 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 McConnell AFB

This page: a magnitude 2.5 earthquake was recorded 3 km (2 mi) northwest of McConnell AFB, KS, at 5:33 pm CDT on 24 October 2021 (22:33 UTC), 6.5 km deep. 183 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 2 km NW of McConnell AFB, Kansas

8 km (5 mi) SE of Wichita, KS

5:33 pm CDT, Oct 24, 2021 · · 6.5 km deep · released about 170 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Sedgwick County 17 kmButler County 41 kmHarvey County 47 kmSumner County 50 kmCowley County 60 kmKingman County 77 kmReno County 78 kmMarion County 80 kmHarper County 87 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
5:33 pm CDT on 24 October 2021 ()
Where
3 km (2 mi) northwest of McConnell AFB, KS · earthquakes near McConnell AFB
Magnitude
M 2.5 (mb_lg)
Depth
6.5 km below the surface
Felt
183 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Sedgwick County, 17 km WNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1520 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 46 km (29 mi) from the epicentre. In McConnell AFB, 3 km away, the estimate is intensity III (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: Wichita 7 km, intensity III · Derby 12 km, intensity III · Haysville 12 km, intensity III · Andover 14 km, intensity III · Belle Plaine 28 km, intensity II · Conway Springs 43 km, intensity II · Wellington 43 km, intensity II · Cheney 45 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 170 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.5 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 89,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 63,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 5.6× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.5 about 170 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 37.6489, -97.2764. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Sedgwick County, KS 17 km (10 mi) WNW earthquakes near Sedgwick County
Butler County, KS 41 km (25 mi) ENE earthquakes near Butler County
Harvey County, KS 47 km (29 mi) NNW earthquakes near Harvey County
Sumner County, KS 50 km (31 mi) SSW earthquakes near Sumner County
Cowley County, KS 60 km (37 mi) SE earthquakes near Cowley County
Kingman County, KS 77 km (48 mi) W earthquakes near Kingman County

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

Aftershocks so far

13 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. 2.8 10 km N of Milton, Kansas
  6. 2.4 10 km WNW of Viola, Kansas
  7. 2.6 8 km WNW of Viola, Kansas
  8. 2.2 9 km NNE of Milton, Kansas
  9. 2.4 9 km NW of Viola, Kansas
  10. 3.5 9 km WNW of Viola, Kansas
  11. 2.6 9 km WNW of Viola, Kansas
  12. 3.0 9 km WNW of Viola, Kansas
  13. 2.4 9 km WNW of Viola, 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.