QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.2ml

Earthquake near Monticello, UT

No earthquake was likely felt in Monticello in the 24 hours to 1:12 pm MST (20:12 UTC). The last one was M 5.4, 823 km (512 mi) SE, at 7:47 pm MDT on 3 May 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1,696 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Monticello

This page: a magnitude 2.2 earthquake was recorded 38 km (23 mi) east-southeast of Monticello, UT, at 11:57 am MDT on 13 September 2023 (17:57 UTC), 5.0 km deep.

USGS: 2 km NW of Dove Creek, Colorado

11:57 am MDT, Sep 13, 2023 · · 5.0 km deep · released about 60 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Dolores County 37 kmSan Miguel County 51 kmMontezuma County 57 kmSan Juan County 79 kmMontrose County 90 kmOuray County 108 kmSan Juan County 110 kmLa Plata County 111 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
11:57 am MDT on 13 September 2023 ()
Where
38 km (23 mi) east-southeast of Monticello, UT · earthquakes near Monticello
Magnitude
M 2.2 (ml)
Depth
5.0 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Dolores County, 37 km E
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1089 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 18 km (11 mi) from the epicentre. In Monticello, 38 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.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 60 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.2 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 250,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 180,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 16× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.2 about 60 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 37.7833, -108.9273. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Dolores County, CO 37 km (23 mi) E earthquakes near Dolores County
San Miguel County, CO 51 km (31 mi) ENE earthquakes near San Miguel County
Montezuma County, CO 57 km (36 mi) SSE earthquakes near Montezuma County
San Juan County, UT 79 km (49 mi) WSW earthquakes near San Juan County
Montrose County, CO 90 km (56 mi) NE earthquakes near Montrose County
Ouray County, CO 108 km (67 mi) ENE earthquakes near Ouray County

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

Aftershocks so far

No further earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

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.