Kentucky earthquakes

M4.0 earthquake 5 km NNE of Artemus, Kentucky

A magnitude 4.0 earthquake struck 5 km NNE of Artemus, Kentucky on Mon, Jan 19, 1976, 1:20 AM EST (06:20 UTC), 5 km (3 mi) below the surface.

Artemus forecastMore in Kentucky

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
4.0 (mb, body-wave), light
Magnitude from
USGS National Earthquake Information Center
Local time
UTC
1976-01-19 06:20:39 UTC
Depth
5.0 km (3.1 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.883° N, 83.825° W
Region
Kentucky
Strongest shaking
V, moderate shaking
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

Magnitude estimates

Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.

Mag.ScaleComputed byNotes
4.0mb, body-waveUSGS National Earthquake Information CenterPreferred · Reviewed
4.0mb, body-waveUSGS historic United States catalogFinal

What happened

The USGS’s account of the effects of this earthquake.

Maximum observed Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) VI

From the USGS event page for usp0000ejd. U.S. Geological Survey text and figures are in the public domain.

Shaking

The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.

Strongest estimated
V, moderate shaking
Peak ground acceleration
22.3% of gravity
Peak ground velocity
1.1 cm/s
Map
Automatic
USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter
Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Depth from
OPERATOR_ASSIGNED
Stations used
24

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.

None recorded.

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0000ejd (also filed as ushis3391). Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 12:44 PM UTC.