QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.7ml

Earthquake near Colorado City, AZ

No earthquake was likely felt in Colorado City in the 24 hours to 11:26 am MST (18:26 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 14 km (9 mi) NE, at 7:17 pm MST on 12 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Colorado City

This page: a magnitude 1.7 earthquake was recorded 19 km (12 mi) south of Colorado City, AZ, at 5:02 pm MST on 15 December 2021 (00:02 UTC), 25 km deep.

USGS: 13 km SSW of Cane Beds, Arizona

63 km (39 mi) ESE of St. George, UT

5:02 pm MST, Dec 15, 2021 · · 25 km deep · released about 10 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Colorado City Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Washington County 69 kmKane County 112 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
5:02 pm MST on 15 December 2021 ()
Where
19 km (12 mi) south of Colorado City, AZ · earthquakes near Colorado City
Magnitude
M 1.7 (ml)
Depth
25 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Washington County, 69 km NW
Nearest mapped fault
Sevier/Toroweap fault, 14 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 1793 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth it was probably too small to be felt, even directly above it. In Colorado City, 19 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: Centennial Park, Hildale.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 10 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,500,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,000,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 92× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.7 about 10 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 36.8262, -112.9410. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Washington County, UT 69 km (43 mi) NW earthquakes near Washington County
Kane County, UT 112 km (69 mi) ENE earthquakes near Kane County
Coconino County, AZ 152 km (95 mi) SE earthquakes near Coconino 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. 1.6 11 km SE of Fredonia, Arizona
  2. 1.9 11 km SE of Fredonia, Arizona
  3. 1.8 16 km S of Centennial Park, Arizona
  4. 2.0 11 km SE of Fredonia, Arizona
  5. 1.9 10 km E of Springdale, Utah
  6. 1.7 Utah
  7. 2.9 11 km NNE of Hildale, Utah
  8. 2.0 0 km S of Cane Beds, Arizona
  9. 2.0 12 km ESE of Fredonia, Arizona
  10. 1.9 12 km ESE of Fredonia, Arizona
  11. 1.7 11 km SE of Fredonia, Arizona
  12. 1.9 11 km SE of Fredonia, Arizona
  13. 1.9 11 km ESE of Fredonia, Arizona
  14. 1.9 12 km ESE of Fredonia, Arizona
  15. 2.1 12 km ESE of Fredonia, Arizona

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.