3.5

M3.5 Earthquake 8 km SW of Dibble, Oklahoma — April 19, 2021

2021-04-19 22:11:35 UTC (2021-04-19) · approx. 3:11 PM UTC-7 local

Felt by 58 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.2 (moderate).

MagnitudeM3.5(ml)
Time22:11 UTC≈ 3:11 PM UTC-7
Depth11.4 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates34.974°, -97.695°
Felt by58DYFI responses· max MMI 4.2
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On April 19, 2021 at 22:11 UTC, a magnitude 3.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 8 km SW of Dibble, Oklahoma, at a depth of 11.4 km and coordinates 34.9737°, -97.6948°. The earthquake was reported felt by 58 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 4.2 (moderate). This earthquake was detected by 101 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 210, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 2.4 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 149 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

The epicenter is located in Oklahoma, a region characterized by induced seismicity from high-volume wastewater injection into the Arbuckle Group formation, which reactivates ancient basement faults. View all earthquakes in Oklahoma.

Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 34.97°, -97.69°

ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity

Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.

USGS ShakeMap intensity contours for the M3.5 earthquake near 8 km SW of Dibble, Oklahoma

Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 58 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M3.5 earthquake near 8 km SW of Dibble, Oklahoma

Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
3.5 ml
Depth
11.4 km
shallow crustal
Location
34.9737°N
-97.6948°E
Felt Reports
58
DYFI responses
Intensity (MMI)
4.2
moderate
Community Intensity
4.3
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
ok2021hrag
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
210
Stations Used
101
Azimuthal Gap
34.0°
0
RMS Residual
0.21 sec
Last Updated
2021-07-03 16:48:33 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 3.5 earthquake near Dibble, Oklahoma?

The magnitude 3.5 earthquake that struck 8 km SW of Dibble, Oklahoma on April 19, 2021 at 22:11 UTC had a depth of 11.4 km. It was felt by 58 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 4.2 (moderate). For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 34.9737°, -97.6948°, which is 8 km SW of Dibble, Oklahoma. View all earthquakes in Oklahoma.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.5 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Has Oklahoma had earthquakes this big before?

The largest recorded earthquake in Oklahoma was the M5.8 Pawnee earthquake of September 3, 2016. Today's magnitude 3.5 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: ok2021hrag). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, April 19, 2021). M3.5 Earthquake 8 km SW of Dibble, Oklahoma — April 19, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/ok2021hrag/