3.1

M3.1 Earthquake 1 km NW of Chesapeake, Ohio — December 16, 2024

2024-12-16 21:39:20 UTC (2024-12-16) · approx. 4:39 PM UTC-5 local

Felt by 1,867 people across a wide area.

MagnitudeM3.1(md)
Time21:39 UTC≈ 4:39 PM UTC-5
Depth13.3 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates38.440°, -82.468°
Felt by1,867DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On December 16, 2024 at 21:39 UTC, a magnitude 3.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck 1 km NW of Chesapeake, Ohio, at a depth of 13.3 km and coordinates 38.4402°, -82.4680°. This earthquake was detected by 19 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 583, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 801 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 90 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 38.44°, -82.47°

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 1,867 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 M3.1 earthquake near 1 km NW of Chesapeake, Ohio

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
3.1 md
Depth
13.3 km
shallow crustal
Location
38.4402°N
-82.4680°E
Felt Reports
1,867
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
4.3
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
se60594971
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
583
Stations Used
19
Azimuthal Gap
38.0°
Min Station Distance
0.497°
RMS Residual
0.23 sec
Last Updated
2025-02-27 17:30:50 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 3.1 earthquake near Chesapeake, Ohio?

The magnitude 3.1 earthquake that struck 1 km NW of Chesapeake, Ohio on December 16, 2024 at 21:39 UTC had a depth of 13.3 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 38.4402°, -82.4680°, which is 1 km NW of Chesapeake, Ohio.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.1 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Actions

View on USGSDid You Feel It?

Location

Ohio
View all Ohio earthquakes

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: se60594971). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, December 16, 2024). M3.1 Earthquake 1 km NW of Chesapeake, Ohio — December 16, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/se60594971/