QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.5ml

Earthquake near Aurora, UT

No earthquake was likely felt in Aurora in the 24 hours to 11:43 am MST (18:43 UTC). The last one was M 1.8, 9 km (6 mi) ESE, at 11:26 am MDT on 23 September 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Aurora

This page: a magnitude 1.5 earthquake was recorded 4 km (3 mi) southeast of Aurora, UT, at 2:02 am MDT on 12 April 2023 (08:02 UTC), 17 km deep.

USGS: 4 km SE of Aurora, Utah

2:02 am MDT, Apr 12, 2023 · · 17 km deep · released about 5.9 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Sevier County 18 kmSanpete County 60 kmPiute County 65 kmEmery County 102 kmWayne County 106 kmMillard County 107 kmJuab County 119 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
2:02 am MDT on 12 April 2023 ()
Where
4 km (3 mi) southeast of Aurora, UT · earthquakes near Aurora
Magnitude
M 1.5 (ml)
Depth
17 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Sevier County, 18 km SSE
Nearest mapped fault
Maple Grove faults, 15 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 1029 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 Aurora, 4 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: Salina, Richfield, Centerfield, Gunnison.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 5.9 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.5 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 2,500,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,800,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 160× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.5 about 5.9 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 lists 3 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.2 0 km SSW of Central Valley, Utah · 28 km SW of this epicentre
  2. 5.2 25 km SE of Salina, Utah · 25 km ESE of this epicentre
  3. 5.0 10 km NE of Marysvale, Utah · 48 km SSW 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 38.8962, -111.8970. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Sevier County, UT 18 km (11 mi) SSE earthquakes near Sevier County
Sanpete County, UT 60 km (37 mi) NNE earthquakes near Sanpete County
Piute County, UT 65 km (41 mi) SSW earthquakes near Piute County
Emery County, UT 102 km (64 mi) E earthquakes near Emery County
Wayne County, UT 106 km (66 mi) SE earthquakes near Wayne County
Millard County, UT 107 km (67 mi) W earthquakes near Millard County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.3 22 km ESE of Mayfield, Utah
  2. 1.5 4 km SW of Centerfield, Utah
  3. 1.5 16 km WNW of Emery, Utah
  4. 1.7 6 km SSE of Joseph, Utah
  5. 1.8 17 km WNW of Emery, Utah
  6. 1.6 9 km SSW of Monroe, Utah
  7. 1.5 15 km NW of Emery, Utah
  8. 2.0 15 km SW of Emery, Utah
  9. 1.6 17 km WNW of Emery, Utah
  10. 1.6 17 km NW of Emery, Utah
  11. 2.2 19 km WNW of Emery, Utah
  12. 1.6 16 km WNW of Emery, Utah
  13. 1.8 9 km NNE of Fayette, Utah
  14. 1.5 18 km E of Mayfield, Utah
  15. 1.6 19 km E of Mayfield, 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.