3.6

M3.6 Earthquake 17 km E of Independence, Utah — June 9, 2021

2021-06-09 19:52:50 UTC (2021-06-09) · approx. 12:52 PM UTC-7 local

Felt by 14 people across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM3.6(ml)
Time19:52 UTC≈ 12:52 PM UTC-7
Depth9.6 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates40.310°, -111.055°
Felt by14DYFI responses· max MMI 3.4
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On June 9, 2021 at 19:52 UTC, a magnitude 3.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 17 km E of Independence, Utah, at a depth of 9.6 km and coordinates 40.3102°, -111.0550°. The earthquake was reported felt by 14 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 3.4 (light). This earthquake was detected by 48 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 3.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 4.5 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 199 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

The epicenter is located in Utah, a region characterized by the Wasatch Fault zone at the eastern margin of the Basin and Range Province, where east-west extension produces normal-fault earthquakes. The nearest mapped fault system is the Wasatch Fault. View all earthquakes in Utah.

Learn more: Wasatch Fault · Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 40.31°, -111.06°

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 M3.6 earthquake near 17 km E of Independence, Utah

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

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 14 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 M3.6 earthquake near 17 km E of Independence, Utah

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
3.6 ml
Depth
9.6 km
shallow crustal
Location
40.3102°N
-111.0550°E
Felt Reports
14
DYFI responses
Intensity (MMI)
3.4
light
Community Intensity
3.4
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
uu60439137
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
210
Stations Used
48
Azimuthal Gap
61.0°
Min Station Distance
0.184°
RMS Residual
0.24 sec
Last Updated
2021-08-24 21:33:49 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 3.6 earthquake near Independence, Utah?

The magnitude 3.6 earthquake that struck 17 km E of Independence, Utah on June 9, 2021 at 19:52 UTC had a depth of 9.6 km. It was felt by 14 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 3.4 (light). For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 40.3102°, -111.0550°, which is 17 km E of Independence, Utah. View all earthquakes in Utah.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.6 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Has Utah had earthquakes this big before?

The largest recorded earthquake in Utah was the M6.6 Magna earthquake of March 18, 2020. Today's magnitude 3.6 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: uu60439137). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, June 9, 2021). M3.6 Earthquake 17 km E of Independence, Utah — June 9, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/uu60439137/