The January 5, 1965 earthquake
M5.1near Lima, Montana
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake 3.1 miles deep, centred in Beaverhead County. The 21st strongest in Montana’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles in the catalogue, which runs from 1900.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.1
- body-wave magnitude (mb)
- Depth
- 3.1 mi
- 5.0 km below the surface
- Local time
- Tuesday, January 5, 1965
- 19:01 MST; 02:01 UTC on Jan 6, 1965
- In Montana’s record
- 21st
- strongest of 1,459 since 1900
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event ushis2738 (“19 km NW of Lima, Montana”). 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
- Beaverhead CountyMT · inside
- Lemhi CountyID · 17.1 mi
- Clark CountyID · 18.5 mi
- Madison CountyMT · 25.6 mi
- Butte CountyID · 39.1 mi
- Custer CountyID · 41.1 mi
- Jefferson CountyID · 49.4 mi
Earthquakes around the epicentre
215 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.