Montana earthquakes

M2.5 earthquake 2 km N of Elmo, Montana

A magnitude 2.5 earthquake struck 2 km N of Elmo, Montana on Wed, Aug 4, 1982, 7:48 PM MDT (01:48 UTC), 5 km (3 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.8 Western Montana. This one was a foreshock.

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude
2.5 (ML, local (Richter)), micro
Magnitude from
USGS National Earthquake Information Center
Local time
UTC
1982-08-05 01:48:16 UTC
Depth
5.0 km (3.1 mi), shallow
Epicenter
47.853° N, 114.349° W
Region
Montana
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

What happened

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

Felt at Echo Lake, Ferndale and along the east shore of Flathead Lake.

From the USGS event page for usp0001nur. U.S. Geological Survey text and figures are in the public domain.

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

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 2 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.

After

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0001nur. Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 7:18 AM UTC.