QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 3.7mwr

Earthquake near Missoula, MT

No earthquake was likely felt in Missoula in the 24 hours to 2:43 pm MST (21:43 UTC). The last one was M 3.8, 76 km (47 mi) NE, at 4:46 am MDT on 5 July 2024, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 131 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Missoula

This page: a magnitude 3.7 earthquake was recorded 49 km (30 mi) north-northwest of Missoula, MT, at 6:47 am MST on 16 November 2022 (13:47 UTC), 12 km deep. 358 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 3 km NE of Ravalli, Montana

48 km (30 mi) N of Missoula, MT

6:47 am MST, Nov 16, 2022 · · 12 km deep · released about 5.4 tons of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Missoula County 36 kmLake County 39 kmMineral County 73 kmSanders County 93 kmPowell County 105 kmFlathead County 111 kmGranite County 114 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
6:47 am MST on 16 November 2022 ()
Where
49 km (30 mi) north-northwest of Missoula, MT · earthquakes near Missoula
Montana today
every earthquake in Montana in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 3.7 (mwr)
Depth
12 km below the surface
Felt
358 reports · strongest reported intensity V
Measured shaking
intensity IV (ShakeMap)
Nearest
Missoula County, 36 km SSE
Nearest mapped fault
Mission fault, 12 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 1383 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 75 km (47 mi) from the epicentre. In Missoula, 49 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: Polson 44 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 5.4 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 4.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 32,000× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,400× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,000× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 3.7 about 5.4 tons of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 11× more

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 47.2961, -114.1463. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Missoula County, MT 36 km (22 mi) SSE earthquakes near Missoula County
Lake County, MT 39 km (24 mi) N earthquakes near Lake County
Mineral County, MT 73 km (46 mi) WSW earthquakes near Mineral County
Sanders County, MT 93 km (58 mi) NW earthquakes near Sanders County
Powell County, MT 105 km (65 mi) ESE earthquakes near Powell County
Flathead County, MT 111 km (69 mi) N earthquakes near Flathead County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.4 4 km SSE of Alberton, Montana
  2. 1.4 16 km NW of Old Agency, Montana
  3. 0.9 9 km WSW of Condon, Montana
  4. 1.9 2 km NNE of Alberton, Montana
  5. 1.5 6 km S of Frenchtown, Montana
  6. 1.7 6 km S of Frenchtown, Montana
  7. 1.9 18 km E of Saint Ignatius, Montana
  8. 1.9 6 km S of Huson, Montana
  9. 1.9 3 km SSW of Alberton, Montana
  10. 1.7 2 km ENE of Alberton, Montana
  11. 2.2 2 km NE of Alberton, Montana
  12. 1.7 4 km WNW of Wye, Montana
  13. 2.6 13 km ESE of Kicking Horse, Montana
  14. 1.7 4 km SSW of Alberton, Montana
  15. 2.1 3 km S of Alberton, 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.