QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8ml

Earthquake near Orchard Mesa, CO

No earthquake was likely felt in Orchard Mesa in the 24 hours to 6:13 pm MST (01:13 UTC). The last one was M 5.0, 752 km (468 mi) ESE, at 4:21 am MDT on 23 July 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 499 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Orchard Mesa

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 26 km (16 mi) southwest of Orchard Mesa, CO, at 2:52 pm MST on 19 November 2019 (21:52 UTC), 1.9 km deep.

USGS: 24 km SW of Orchard Mesa, Colorado

28 km (18 mi) SSW of Grand Junction, CO

2:52 pm MST, Nov 19, 2019 · · 1.9 km deep · released about 15 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Mesa County 28 kmMontrose County 64 kmDelta County 74 kmGrand County 75 kmSan Miguel County 98 kmGarfield County 108 kmOuray County 113 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
2:52 pm MST on 19 November 2019 ()
Where
26 km (16 mi) southwest of Orchard Mesa, CO · earthquakes near Orchard Mesa
Magnitude
M 1.8 (ml)
Depth
1.9 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Mesa County, 28 km NE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2462 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 13 km (8 mi) from the epicentre. In Orchard Mesa, 26 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: Redlands, Grand Junction.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 15 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,000,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 710,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 63× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.8 about 15 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 38.8627, -108.7204. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Mesa County, CO 28 km (18 mi) NE earthquakes near Mesa County
Montrose County, CO 64 km (40 mi) SE earthquakes near Montrose County
Delta County, CO 74 km (46 mi) E earthquakes near Delta County
Grand County, UT 75 km (47 mi) W earthquakes near Grand County
San Miguel County, CO 98 km (61 mi) SSE earthquakes near San Miguel County
Garfield County, CO 108 km (67 mi) NE earthquakes near Garfield 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. 2.0 14 km NE of Fruita, Colorado
  2. 2.3 35 km SW of Loma, Colorado
  3. 1.8 35 km WSW of Loma, Colorado
  4. 3.2 34 km W of Delta, Colorado
  5. 1.9 19 km SSE of Orchard Mesa, Colorado
  6. 1.9 34 km W of Delta, Colorado
  7. 1.7 20 km SSW of Orchard Mesa, Colorado
  8. 2.1 20 km WNW of Delta, Colorado
  9. 2.5 26 km WNW of Delta, Colorado
  10. 1.7 29 km SW of Orchard Mesa, Colorado
  11. 2.2 17 km WNW of Loma, Colorado
  12. 1.5 19 km WSW of Redlands, Colorado
  13. 1.8 27 km W of Delta, 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.