QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8md

Earthquake near Richfield, UT

No earthquake was likely felt in Richfield in the 24 hours to 10:27 pm MST (05:27 UTC). The last one was M 3.2, 34 km (21 mi) W, at 8:35 am MDT on 22 April 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 6 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Richfield

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 44 km (28 mi) east of Richfield, UT, at 12:56 am MDT on 27 October 2018 (06:56 UTC), 3.7 km deep.

USGS: 30 km SE of Salina, Utah

12:56 am MDT, Oct 27, 2018 · · 3.7 km deep · released about 15 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Sevier County 21 kmSanpete County 64 kmPiute County 70 kmEmery County 78 kmWayne County 78 kmGarfield County 108 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
12:56 am MDT on 27 October 2018 ()
Where
44 km (28 mi) east of Richfield, UT · earthquakes near Richfield
Magnitude
M 1.8 (md)
Depth
3.7 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Sevier County, 21 km WSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2907 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 Richfield, 44 km away, the estimate is intensity I (not felt). 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 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 lists 2 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.2 0 km SSW of Central Valley, Utah · 47 km WSW of this epicentre
  2. 5.2 25 km SE of Salina, Utah · 6 km NW 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 38.7958, -111.5738. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Sevier County, UT 21 km (13 mi) WSW earthquakes near Sevier County
Sanpete County, UT 64 km (40 mi) N earthquakes near Sanpete County
Piute County, UT 70 km (44 mi) SW earthquakes near Piute County
Emery County, UT 78 km (48 mi) ENE earthquakes near Emery County
Wayne County, UT 78 km (49 mi) SE earthquakes near Wayne County
Garfield County, UT 108 km (67 mi) S earthquakes near Garfield County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.8 16 km WSW of Emery, Utah
  2. 1.6 16 km WSW of Emery, Utah
  3. 2.0 16 km WSW of Emery, Utah
  4. 1.6 17 km WSW of Emery, Utah
  5. 1.6 18 km WSW of Emery, Utah
  6. 1.9 16 km WSW of Emery, Utah
  7. 1.8 19 km WSW of Emery, Utah
  8. 1.6 15 km WSW of Emery, Utah
  9. 1.7 17 km WSW of Emery, Utah
  10. 1.8 15 km WSW of Emery, Utah
  11. 1.5 16 km WSW of Emery, Utah
  12. 1.5 30 km SW of Emery, Utah
  13. 1.5 17 km WSW of Emery, Utah
  14. 1.7 18 km WSW of Emery, Utah
  15. 2.2 17 km WSW of Emery, Utah

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.