Kansas earthquakes

M4.0 earthquake 1 km SSW of Gypsum, Kansas

A magnitude 4.0 earthquake struck 1 km SSW of Gypsum, Kansas on Wed, Dec 15, 2021, 3:58 AM CST (09:58 UTC), 3 km (2 mi) below the surface.

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Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 4.0 (mwr), light
Local time: Wed, Dec 15, 2021, 3:58 AM CST
UTC: 2021-12-15 09:58:21 UTC
Depth: 3.0 km (1.9 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 38.690° N, 97.435° W
Region: Kansas
Felt reports: 129
Strongest shaking: IV, light 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: IV, light shaking
Peak ground acceleration: 15.2% 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?

129 people reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was IV, light shaking.

Did You Feel It? map: shaking reported by the public — Shaking reported by the public, by area. Map: USGS Did You Feel It?

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

Deaths: estimated chance of each range
Range	Chance
Under 1	69%
1 to 10	29%
10 to 100	2%
100 to 1,000	Under 1%
1,000 to 10,000	Under 1%
10,000 to 100,000	Under 1%
100,000 to 10,000,000	Under 1%

Economic losses: estimated chance of each range
Range, million USD	Chance
Under 1	65%
1 to 10	30%
10 to 100	4%
100 to 1,000	Under 1%
1,000 to 10,000	Under 1%
10,000 to 100,000	Under 1%
100,000 to 10,000,000	Under 1%

Fault motion and ground failure

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

Faulting: Strike-slip
Moment magnitude: 4.0 Mwr
Nodal plane 1: Strike 110°, dip 68°, rake -20°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 208°, dip 72°, rake -156°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty: About 3.8 km horizontally, 1.9 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.04
Depth from: From moment tensor inversion
Station coverage gap: 61°
Stations used: 76

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 24 in the 60 days after this one and 14 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

Earthquakes today Kansas earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us6000gcd6. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 7:52 AM UTC.