QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9ml

Earthquake near Rafter J Ranch, WY

No earthquake was likely felt in Rafter J Ranch in the 24 hours to 7:43 am MST (14:43 UTC). The last one was M 2.7, 18 km (11 mi) SSE, at 6:18 pm MST on 6 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near Rafter J Ranch

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 6 km (4 mi) west-southwest of Rafter J Ranch, WY, at 9:50 pm MST on 9 February 2020 (04:50 UTC), 5.0 km deep. 7 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 6 km WSW of Rafter J Ranch, Wyoming

9:50 pm MST, Feb 9, 2020 · · 5.0 km deep · released about 21 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Teton County 48 kmBonneville County 61 kmMadison County 76 kmTeton County 80 kmCaribou County 88 kmFremont County 103 kmSublette County 105 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
9:50 pm MST on 9 February 2020 ()
Where
6 km (4 mi) west-southwest of Rafter J Ranch, WY · earthquakes near Rafter J Ranch
Magnitude
M 1.9 (ml)
Depth
5.0 km below the surface
Felt
7 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Teton County, 48 km NW
Nearest mapped fault
Teton fault, 16 km from its surface trace — near is not the same as on
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2391 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 14 km (9 mi) from the epicentre. In Rafter J Ranch, 6 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: Jackson 12 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

The largest earthquake within 50 km since 2016 was M 4.8 on 2016-08-27 — about 22,000 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists one earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.0 20 km ESE of Kelly, Wyoming · 44 km ENE 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 43.4031, -110.8717. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Teton County, ID 48 km (30 mi) NW earthquakes near Teton County
Bonneville County, ID 61 km (38 mi) W earthquakes near Bonneville County
Madison County, ID 76 km (47 mi) NW earthquakes near Madison County
Teton County, WY 80 km (50 mi) NNE earthquakes near Teton County
Caribou County, ID 88 km (54 mi) SW earthquakes near Caribou County
Fremont County, ID 103 km (64 mi) NNW earthquakes near Fremont County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.8 2 km NNE of Jackson, Wyoming
  2. 1.9 4 km NNE of Jackson, Wyoming
  3. 2.7 4 km NE of Jackson, Wyoming
  4. 1.6 11 km S of Victor, Idaho
  5. 1.6 3 km ENE of Alpine Northeast, Wyoming
  6. 2.2 18 km WSW of Alpine Northwest, Wyoming
  7. 1.7 16 km SE of Kelly, Wyoming
  8. 2.3 8 km W of Bondurant, Wyoming
  9. 1.6 7 km WNW of Bondurant, Wyoming
  10. 2.6 9 km W of Bondurant, Wyoming
  11. 1.9 22 km SSW of Irwin, Idaho
  12. 1.8 5 km NNE of Alta, Wyoming
  13. 1.9 16 km SW of Wilson, Wyoming
  14. 1.9 9 km W of Bondurant, Wyoming
  15. 2.0 Wyoming

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.