QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.6ml

Earthquake near Moab, UT

No earthquake was likely felt in Moab in the 24 hours to 12:50 am MST (07:50 UTC). The last one was M 1.9, 11 km (7 mi) SW, at 6:42 am MST on 17 December 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Moab

This page: a magnitude 1.6 earthquake was recorded 49 km (30 mi) north-northeast of Moab, UT, at 9:02 am MDT on 7 October 2022 (15:02 UTC), 6.0 km deep.

USGS: 34 km E of Thompson Springs, Utah

9:02 am MDT, Oct 7, 2022 · · 6.0 km deep · released about 9 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Grand County 22 kmMesa County 74 kmMontrose County 111 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
9:02 am MDT on 7 October 2022 ()
Where
49 km (30 mi) north-northeast of Moab, UT · earthquakes near Moab
Magnitude
M 1.6 (ml)
Depth
6.0 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Grand County, 22 km W
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1497 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 10 km (6 mi) from the epicentre. In Moab, 49 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 9 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,700,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,200,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 110× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.6 about 9 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 38.9733, -109.3137. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Grand County, UT 22 km (14 mi) W earthquakes near Grand County
Mesa County, CO 74 km (46 mi) E earthquakes near Mesa County
Montrose County, CO 111 km (69 mi) SE earthquakes near Montrose County
San Miguel County, CO 132 km (82 mi) SE earthquakes near San Miguel County
Carbon County, UT 134 km (84 mi) NW earthquakes near Carbon County
Rio Blanco County, CO 147 km (91 mi) NE earthquakes near Rio Blanco County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.7 37 km NE of Thompson Springs, Utah
  2. 2.3 35 km SW of Loma, Colorado
  3. 1.8 35 km WSW of Loma, Colorado
  4. 1.9 42 km NNE of Thompson Springs, Utah
  5. 1.7 Utah
  6. 2.1 28 km NNE of Castle Valley, Utah
  7. 1.9 28 km NNE of Castle Valley, Utah
  8. 1.7 27 km NNE of Castle Valley, 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.