M3.8 Earthquake 9 km NNW of Livingston, Montana — January 30, 2023
2023-01-30 19:28:52 UTC (2023-01-30) · approx. 12:28 PM UTC-7 local
Felt by 309 people across surrounding communities.
On January 30, 2023 at 19:28 UTC, a magnitude 3.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 9 km NNW of Livingston, Montana, at a depth of 20.1 km and coordinates 45.7449°, -110.5969°. The earthquake was reported felt by 309 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 3.5 (light). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 23 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 324, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Livingston (population 7,044).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 7.6 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 252 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Montana, a region characterized by the Intermountain Seismic Belt, a diffuse zone of crustal deformation between the stable craton and the Basin and Range. View all earthquakes in Montana.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Nearest Populated Places
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.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 309 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
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 52,576 |
| MMI 4 | light | 196 |
Earthquake Details
-110.5969°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.8 earthquake near Livingston, Montana?
The magnitude 3.8 earthquake that struck 9 km NNW of Livingston, Montana on January 30, 2023 at 19:28 UTC had a depth of 20.1 km. It was felt by 309 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 3.5 (light). For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 45.7449°, -110.5969°, which is 9 km NNW of Livingston, Montana. The nearest populated place is Livingston (population 7,044). View all earthquakes in Montana.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.8 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Has Montana had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Montana was the M7.3 Hebgen Lake earthquake of August 17, 1959. Today's magnitude 3.8 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000jke7). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, January 30, 2023). M3.8 Earthquake 9 km NNW of Livingston, Montana — January 30, 2023. Retrieved October 31, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000jke7/