M3.8 Earthquake 37 km ENE of Thompson Springs, Utah — May 31, 2022
2022-05-31 22:12:27 UTC (2022-05-31) · approx. 3:12 PM UTC-7 local
Felt by 100 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.4 (moderate).
On May 31, 2022 at 22:12 UTC, a magnitude 3.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 37 km ENE of Thompson Springs, Utah, at a depth of 6.8 km and coordinates 39.0608°, -109.2958°. The earthquake was reported felt by 100 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 4.4 (moderate). This earthquake was detected by 19 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 252, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 6.6 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 237 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
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 100 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
-109.2958°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.8 earthquake near Thompson Springs, Utah?
The magnitude 3.8 earthquake that struck 37 km ENE of Thompson Springs, Utah on May 31, 2022 at 22:12 UTC had a depth of 6.8 km. It was felt by 100 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 4.4 (moderate). For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 39.0608°, -109.2958°, which is 37 km ENE of Thompson Springs, Utah. View all earthquakes in Utah.
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 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 3.8 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: uu60500212). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, May 31, 2022). M3.8 Earthquake 37 km ENE of Thompson Springs, Utah — May 31, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/uu60500212/