The January 17, 1950 earthquake
M5.3near Altamont, Utah
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake, centred in Duchesne County. The 11th strongest in Utah’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles in the catalogue, which runs from 1900.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.3
- as reported (uk)
- Depth
- —
- Not recorded
- Local time
- Tuesday, January 17, 1950
- 18:55 MST; 01:55 UTC on Jan 18, 1950
- In Utah’s record
- 11th
- strongest of 2,224 since 1900
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event ushis1683 (“23 km NW of Altamont, Utah”). The USGS event page carries the ShakeMap, felt reports and the official summary.
Counties and cities within 50 miles
Distance from the epicentre to each county boundary (zero when inside) and to each city centre.
Counties
- Duchesne CountyUT · inside
- Summit CountyUT · 18.1 mi
- Wasatch CountyUT · 24.6 mi
- Daggett CountyUT · 34.0 mi
- Uintah CountyUT · 34.8 mi
- Sweetwater CountyWY · 41.7 mi
- Uinta CountyWY · 41.7 mi
- Utah CountyUT · 44.0 mi
Cities, largest first
- HeberUT · 46.7 mi
Earthquakes around the epicentre
16 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles of this epicentre since 1973.
No earlier earthquake of magnitude 5 or more within 50 miles in the catalogue since 1900.
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog. Local time is the time zone of the county nearest the epicentre. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them.