Idaho earthquakes

M5.0 earthquake 9 km E of Challis, Idaho

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck 9 km E of Challis, Idaho on Sat, Jan 3, 2015, 10:44 AM MST (17:44 UTC), 9 km (5 mi) below the surface.

Challis forecast More in Idaho

Map

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

Open the live map with earthquakes

The earthquake

Magnitude: 5.0 (mww), moderate
Local time: Sat, Jan 3, 2015, 10:44 AM MST
UTC: 2015-01-03 17:44:03 UTC
Depth: 8.5 km (5.3 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 44.507° N, 114.112° W
Region: Idaho
Felt reports: 569
Strongest shaking: VI, strong shaking
PAGER alert: Green
Tsunami flag: No
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Shaking

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

Strongest estimated: VI, strong shaking
Peak ground acceleration: 17.3% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 2.2 cm/s
Map: Automatic

USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter — Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

Did you feel it?

569 people reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was V, moderate shaking.

Estimated impact

The USGS PAGER system estimates deaths and economic losses from the shaking and the population and buildings exposed to it.

Alert level: Green: little or no damage or loss of life expected

Fault motion and ground failure

How the rock slipped, from the moment tensor, and the USGS estimate of landslides and liquefaction.

Faulting: Normal
Moment magnitude: 5.0 Mww
Nodal plane 1: Strike 113°, dip 56°, rake -117°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 336°, dip 43°, rake -55°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty: About 4.4 km horizontally, 3.3 km in depth
Depth from: FROM_LOCATION
Station coverage gap: 10°
Stations used: 261

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.0 and up: 93 in the 60 days after this one and 25 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 93.

Before

Earthquakes today Idaho earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usc000tbfq (also filed as mb15159774, iscgem606490562, uu60097467, atlas20150103174403). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 7:28 AM UTC.