QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8ml

Earthquake near El Jebel, CO

No earthquake was likely felt in El Jebel in the 24 hours to 2:47 pm MST (21:47 UTC). The last one was M 5.0, 664 km (412 mi) SE, at 4:21 am MDT on 23 July 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 499 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near El Jebel

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 2 km (1 mi) north-northwest of El Jebel, CO, at 12:17 am MDT on 14 July 2021 (06:17 UTC), 5.0 km deep. 16 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 2 km NNW of El Jebel, Colorado

12:17 am MDT, Jul 14, 2021 · · 5.0 km deep · released about 15 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Pitkin County 27 kmEagle County 42 kmLake County 68 kmGarfield County 73 kmGunnison County 83 kmSummit County 86 kmDelta County 90 kmChaffee County 102 kmRio Blanco 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
12:17 am MDT on 14 July 2021 ()
Where
2 km (1 mi) north-northwest of El Jebel, CO · earthquakes near El Jebel
Magnitude
M 1.8 (ml)
Depth
5.0 km below the surface
Felt
16 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Pitkin County, 27 km SE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1881 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 El Jebel, 2 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: Carbondale 10 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

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 39.4128, -107.0995. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Pitkin County, CO 27 km (17 mi) SE earthquakes near Pitkin County
Eagle County, CO 42 km (26 mi) NE earthquakes near Eagle County
Lake County, CO 68 km (43 mi) ESE earthquakes near Lake County
Garfield County, CO 73 km (45 mi) WNW earthquakes near Garfield County
Gunnison County, CO 83 km (51 mi) S earthquakes near Gunnison County
Summit County, CO 86 km (53 mi) ENE earthquakes near Summit County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.2 10 km NW of Dotsero, Colorado
  2. 2.8 10 km NE of Redstone, Colorado
  3. 2.6 12 km S of Mulford, Colorado
  4. 2.1 6 km NNW of Chacra, Colorado
  5. 2.9 6 km NNE of Chacra, Colorado
  6. 1.9 6 km WNW of Snowmass Village, Colorado
  7. 2.5 7 km NNW of Chacra, Colorado
  8. 2.6 6 km NNW of Chacra, Colorado
  9. 2.9 8 km NNW of Chacra, Colorado
  10. 2.1 9 km NNE of New Castle, Colorado
  11. 2.5 6 km NNW of Gypsum, 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.