A magnitude 3.8, intensity III earthquake occurred 70 kilometers (44 miles) northeast of Alta, Wyoming, in the south part of Yellowstone National Park, at 4:16:21 a.m. MST on May 18, 2006. The earthquake registered as intensity III in Yellowstone National Park and as intensity II east of Yellowstone.

No damage has been reported in Wyoming from the earthquake. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colorado reported this earthquake to the Wyoming State Geological Survey (WSGS). The USGS estimated the depth of the earthquake at about 0.2 km (0.1 mile). The epicenter was located 76 km (47 miles) north-northeast of Teton Village, Wyoming and 82 km (51 miles) southeast of West Yellowstone, Montana.

The WSGS has generated seismological characterizations of all Wyoming counties, available at http://www.wrds.uwyo.edu/wrds/wsgs/hazards/quakes/seischar/seischar.html. These characterizations include analyses of historic seismicity as well as projections of possible future earthquakes.

For more information, please contact Seth Wittke by phone at (307) 766-2286, ext. 244, or by email at wittkesj@uwyo.edu.

*PDF note