M3.7 Earthquake 38 km NNW of Pierre, South Dakota — May 30, 2024
2024-05-30 19:39:51 UTC (2024-05-30) · approx. 12:39 PM UTC-7 local
Felt by 485 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.0 (moderate).
On May 30, 2024 at 19:39 UTC, a magnitude 3.7 shallow crustal earthquake struck 38 km NNW of Pierre, South Dakota, at a depth of 15.5 km and coordinates 44.6847°, -100.5453°. The earthquake was reported felt by 485 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 4.0 (moderate). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 71 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 429, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Fort Pierre (population 2,078).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.7 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 5.4 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 215 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 4.0 (moderate), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Mild shaking, similar to a passing truck. Hanging objects swing. Glasses and dishes may rattle. Not commonly felt outdoors.
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 485 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 | 197,494 |
| MMI 4 | light | 20,983 |
Earthquake Details
-100.5453°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.7 earthquake near Pierre, South Dakota?
The magnitude 3.7 earthquake that struck 38 km NNW of Pierre, South Dakota on May 30, 2024 at 19:39 UTC had a depth of 15.5 km. It was felt by 485 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 4.0 (moderate). For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 44.6847°, -100.5453°, which is 38 km NNW of Pierre, South Dakota. The nearest populated place is Fort Pierre (population 2,078).
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.7 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000mp2d). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, May 30, 2024). M3.7 Earthquake 38 km NNW of Pierre, South Dakota — May 30, 2024. Retrieved October 9, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000mp2d/