QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9ml

Earthquake near Moab, UT

No earthquake was likely felt in Moab in the 24 hours to 12:46 am MST (07:46 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 1.9 earthquake was recorded 11 km (7 mi) southwest of Moab, UT, at 6:42 am MST on 17 December 2025 (13:42 UTC), less than 1 km deep.

USGS: 11 km SW of Moab, Utah

6:42 am MST, Dec 17, 2025 · · -2.2 km deep · released about 24 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Grand County 53 kmSan Juan County 101 kmEmery County 109 kmMesa County 118 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
6:42 am MST on 17 December 2025 ()
Where
11 km (7 mi) southwest of Moab, UT · earthquakes near Moab
Magnitude
M 1.9 (ml)
Depth
-2.2 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Grand County, 53 km N
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 330 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 15 km (9 mi) from the epicentre. In Moab, 11 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.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 24 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 640,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 450,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 40× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 24 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 38.5053, -109.6482. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Grand County, UT 53 km (33 mi) N earthquakes near Grand County
San Juan County, UT 101 km (63 mi) S earthquakes near San Juan County
Emery County, UT 109 km (67 mi) WNW earthquakes near Emery County
Mesa County, CO 118 km (73 mi) ENE earthquakes near Mesa County
San Miguel County, CO 120 km (75 mi) ESE earthquakes near San Miguel County
Wayne County, UT 120 km (75 mi) WSW earthquakes near Wayne County

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

Aftershocks so far

No further earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

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.