M2.5 Earthquake 2 km NNW of Benson, Utah — January 3, 2023
2023-01-03 22:36:47 UTC (2023-01-03) · approx. 3:36 PM UTC-7 local
Felt by 21 people across nearby locations.
On January 3, 2023 at 22:36 UTC, a magnitude 2.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 2 km NNW of Benson, Utah, at a depth of 8.3 km and coordinates 41.8053°, -111.9360°. This earthquake was detected by 18 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 99, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 2.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 71.4 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 30 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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 21 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
-111.9360°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 2.5 earthquake near Benson, Utah?
The magnitude 2.5 earthquake that struck 2 km NNW of Benson, Utah on January 3, 2023 at 22:36 UTC had a depth of 8.3 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 41.8053°, -111.9360°, which is 2 km NNW of Benson, Utah. View all earthquakes in Utah.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 2.5 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 2.5 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: uu60529097). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, January 3, 2023). M2.5 Earthquake 2 km NNW of Benson, Utah — January 3, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/uu60529097/