M3.2 Earthquake 1 km NE of Benson, Utah — January 3, 2023
2023-01-03 21:44:30 UTC (2023-01-03) · approx. 2:44 PM UTC-7 local
Felt by 332 people across surrounding communities.
On January 3, 2023 at 21:44 UTC, a magnitude 3.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 1 km NE of Benson, Utah, at a depth of 0.8 km and coordinates 41.7943°, -111.9202°. The earthquake was reported felt by 332 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 3.9 (light). This earthquake was detected by 23 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 269, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 919 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 96 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 332 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
-111.9202°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.2 earthquake near Benson, Utah?
The magnitude 3.2 earthquake that struck 1 km NE of Benson, Utah on January 3, 2023 at 21:44 UTC had a depth of 0.8 km. It was felt by 332 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 3.9 (light). For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 41.7943°, -111.9202°, which is 1 km NE of Benson, Utah. View all earthquakes in Utah.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.2 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 3.2 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: uu60529092). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, January 3, 2023). M3.2 Earthquake 1 km NE of Benson, Utah — January 3, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/uu60529092/