QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 4.4ml

Earthquake near West Yellowstone, MT

No earthquake was likely felt in West Yellowstone in the 24 hours to 8:23 am MST (15:23 UTC). The last one was M 2.8, 11 km (7 mi) NNW, at 1:21 am MDT on 8 September 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near West Yellowstone

This page: a magnitude 4.4 earthquake was recorded 14 km (9 mi) north-northeast of West Yellowstone, MT, at 6:48 pm MDT on 15 June 2017 (00:48 UTC), 9.3 km deep. 125 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 12 km E of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana

6:48 pm MDT, Jun 15, 2017 · · 9.3 km deep · released about 52 tons of TNT

Every earthquake near West Yellowstone Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Fremont County 72 kmGallatin County 83 kmPark County 85 kmMadison County 92 kmTeton County 95 kmTeton County 114 kmClark County 118 kmPark County 118 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
6:48 pm MDT on 15 June 2017 ()
Where
14 km (9 mi) north-northeast of West Yellowstone, MT · earthquakes near West Yellowstone
Montana today
every earthquake in Montana in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 4.4 (ml)
Depth
9.3 km below the surface
Felt
125 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Measured shaking
intensity IV (ShakeMap)
USGS impact alert
green
Nearest
Fremont County, 72 km SSW
Nearest mapped fault
Red Canyon fault, 2 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 3374 days ago

This was a light earthquake. It is usually felt clearly nearby and can rattle windows and dishes, but damage is uncommon.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 126 km (78 mi) from the epicentre. In West Yellowstone, 14 km away, the estimate is intensity IV (light). 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: West Yellowstone 14 km, intensity IV. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 52 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 5.4 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 3,200× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 140× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 100× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 4.4 about 52 tons of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 110× 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

The largest earthquake within 50 km (31 mi) since our catalogue begins in 2016. No other earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded this close in that time.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 14 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 7.2 The 1959 Hebgen Lake, Montana Earthquake · 13 km W of this epicentre
  2. 6.5 14 km N of Madison Junction, Wyoming · 11 km E of this epicentre
  3. 6.3 22 km SW of Mammoth, Wyoming · 14 km ENE of this epicentre
  4. 6.0 21 km E of West Yellowstone, Montana · 21 km SE of this epicentre
  5. 5.9 26 km SSE of Mammoth, Wyoming · 34 km E 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 44.7813, -111.0332. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Fremont County, ID 72 km (45 mi) SSW earthquakes near Fremont County
Gallatin County, MT 83 km (51 mi) N earthquakes near Gallatin County
Park County, MT 85 km (53 mi) NNE earthquakes near Park County
Madison County, MT 92 km (57 mi) NW earthquakes near Madison County
Teton County, WY 95 km (59 mi) SSE earthquakes near Teton County
Teton County, ID 114 km (71 mi) S earthquakes near Teton County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 3.0 12 km E of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
  2. 2.5 13 km E of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
  3. 1.8 13 km NE of West Yellowstone, Montana
  4. 1.6 13 km NE of West Yellowstone, Montana
  5. 2.2 12 km E of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
  6. 1.6 12 km ENE of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
  7. 1.6 13 km E of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
  8. 1.7 12 km E of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
  9. 1.7 13 km NE of West Yellowstone, Montana
  10. 2.0 13 km E of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
  11. 1.6 12 km E of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
  12. 1.9 13 km E of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
  13. 2.2 13 km E of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
  14. 1.6 13 km E of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
  15. 2.3 11 km E of Hebgen Lake Estates, 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.