QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1ml

Earthquake near Manhattan, MT

No earthquake was likely felt in Manhattan in the 24 hours to 7:47 am MST (14:47 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 9 km (6 mi) NNW, at 9:42 pm MDT on 2 September 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Manhattan

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 3 km (2 mi) west-southwest of Manhattan, MT, at 6:02 pm MDT on 4 October 2019 (00:02 UTC), 2.7 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 3 km WSW of Manhattan, Montana

31 km (19 mi) NW of Bozeman, MT

6:02 pm MDT, Oct 4, 2019 · · 2.7 km deep · released about 43 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Manhattan Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Gallatin County 40 kmBroadwater County 54 kmJefferson County 61 kmMadison County 72 kmPark County 78 kmMeagher County 89 kmSilver Bow County 100 kmSweet Grass County 111 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
6:02 pm MDT on 4 October 2019 ()
Where
3 km (2 mi) west-southwest of Manhattan, MT · earthquakes near Manhattan
Montana today
every earthquake in Montana in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.1 (ml)
Depth
2.7 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Gallatin County, 40 km SSE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2511 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 17 km (11 mi) from the epicentre. In Manhattan, 3 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: Manhattan 3 km, intensity II · Three Forks 15 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

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 4.2 on 2019-08-16 — about 1,400 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 6 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.6 The 1925 Clarkston Valley, Montana Earthquake · 28 km NNW of this epicentre
  2. 6.4 Clarkston Valley, Montana (Aftershock) · 28 km NNW of this epicentre
  3. 5.5 Clarkston Valley, Montana (Aftershock) · 28 km NNW of this epicentre
  4. 5.5 Clarkston Valley, Montana (Aftershock) · 28 km NNW of this epicentre
  5. 5.5 Clarkston Valley, Montana (Aftershock) · 28 km NNW of this epicentre

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 45.8499, -111.3734. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Gallatin County, MT 40 km (25 mi) SSE earthquakes near Gallatin County
Broadwater County, MT 54 km (34 mi) N earthquakes near Broadwater County
Jefferson County, MT 61 km (38 mi) WNW earthquakes near Jefferson County
Madison County, MT 72 km (45 mi) SW earthquakes near Madison County
Park County, MT 78 km (49 mi) ESE earthquakes near Park County
Meagher County, MT 89 km (55 mi) NNE earthquakes near Meagher County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.6 4 km W of Belgrade, Montana
  2. 1.8 Western Montana
  3. 2.4 2 km SW of Ponderosa Pines, Montana
  4. 2.0 11 km SSW of Radersburg, Montana
  5. 1.6 2 km ENE of Manhattan, Montana
  6. 2.0 3 km WNW of Manhattan, Montana
  7. 2.3 2 km W of Manhattan, Montana
  8. 1.7 8 km S of Ponderosa Pines, Montana
  9. 1.9 8 km WNW of Four Corners, Montana
  10. 1.8 4 km S of Radersburg, Montana
  11. 2.5 7 km WNW of Willow Creek, Montana
  12. 2.1 6 km ENE of Toston, Montana
  13. 1.5 11 km NE of Manhattan, Montana
  14. 1.7 6 km NNE of Logan, Montana
  15. 2.3 11 km ENE of Toston, Montana

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.