M3.1 Earthquake 7 km SW of Gypsum, Kansas — December 15, 2021
2021-12-15 18:17:48 UTC (2021-12-15) · approx. 12:17 PM UTC-6 local
Felt by 10 people across nearby locations.
On December 15, 2021 at 18:17 UTC, a magnitude 3.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck 7 km SW of Gypsum, Kansas, at a depth of 5.0 km and coordinates 38.6693°, -97.4940°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 674 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 83 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 10 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
-97.4940°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.1 earthquake near Gypsum, Kansas?
The magnitude 3.1 earthquake that struck 7 km SW of Gypsum, Kansas on December 15, 2021 at 18:17 UTC had a depth of 5.0 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 38.6693°, -97.4940°, which is 7 km SW of Gypsum, Kansas.
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.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000gcie). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, December 15, 2021). M3.1 Earthquake 7 km SW of Gypsum, Kansas — December 15, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000gcie/