QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3ml

Earthquake near Grand Junction, CO

No earthquake was likely felt in Grand Junction in the 24 hours to 1:27 pm MST (20:27 UTC). The last one was M 5.0, 755 km (469 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 Grand Junction

This page: a magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 39 km (24 mi) east-northeast of Grand Junction, CO, at 5:21 am MDT on 31 August 2026 (11:21 UTC), 7.8 km deep.

USGS: 15 km WSW of Collbran, Colorado

40 km (25 mi) ENE of Grand Junction, CO

5:21 am MDT, Aug 31, 2026 · · 7.8 km deep · released about 85 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Mesa County 35 kmDelta County 44 kmGarfield County 48 kmRio Blanco County 86 kmMontrose County 89 kmPitkin County 104 kmGunnison County 110 kmOuray County 120 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
5:21 am MDT on 31 August 2026 ()
Where
39 km (24 mi) east-northeast of Grand Junction, CO · earthquakes near Grand Junction
Magnitude
M 2.3 (ml)
Depth
7.8 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Mesa County, 35 km SW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 50 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 Grand Junction, 39 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: Palisade, Battlement Mesa, Parachute.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 85 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.3 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 180,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 130,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 11× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 85 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 39.1983, -108.1281. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Mesa County, CO 35 km (22 mi) SW earthquakes near Mesa County
Delta County, CO 44 km (27 mi) SSE earthquakes near Delta County
Garfield County, CO 48 km (30 mi) NNE earthquakes near Garfield County
Rio Blanco County, CO 86 km (54 mi) N earthquakes near Rio Blanco County
Montrose County, CO 89 km (55 mi) S earthquakes near Montrose County
Pitkin County, CO 104 km (65 mi) E earthquakes near Pitkin 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.