Rockin’ and Rollin’ in Big Sky Country: Montana’s Earthquakes

Hey Montanans! Did you feel the earthquake last week? What about the six earthquakes in the past month? Or any of the thirty-seven earthquakes in the past year? Oh, by the way, that's just in Bozeman, Montana.

In 2024, Montana had a total of 2,097 earthquakes with magnitudes up to 4.9.

Get our free mobile app

While Montana is known as Big Sky Country, it should also be recognized as earthquake country. In fact, Montana ranks among the TOP 10 most seismically active states in the nation.

According to geologists, the surface of the Earth is divided into seven major and eight minor tectonic plates. The edges of those plates have faults, and this is where stored energy from movement is released. The released energy along the faults causes seismic waves, which we experience as earthquakes.

"The earthquakes in southwestern Montana are part of the Intermountain Seismic Belt, a zone of frequent earthquake activity that extends about 800 miles from northwest Montana southward through Yellowstone National Park, through the Salt Lake City area, and all the way to southwestern Utah. A branch of the Intermountain Seismic Belt extends from Yellowstone about 300 miles west to the Idaho-Oregon border." - MDT.Mt.Gov

One of Montana's most devastating environmental disasters is the Hebgen Lake Earthquake, which was recorded as the 14th largest earthquake in the contiguous United States. The disaster occurred in 1959 at Hebgen Lake, measured a Magnitude of 7.5, and resulted in the tragic loss of 28 people.

Not only do we have many earthquakes, but we also live right next door to one of the world's largest supervolcanos, the Yellowstone Caldera. The supervolcano activity causes several thousand earthquakes each year in the park.

To say the least, the Southwest region of Montana is prone to earthquakes. The next time you think you felt the ground rumble, it's likely that you have just experienced one of Montana's most common natural events.

Credit: GCEM , Earthquake Track , World Pop. , MDT.mt.gov

Tips For Staying Safe During An Earthquake in Idaho

Here are some tips on how to stay safe during an earthquake according to the CDC.

Gallery Credit: Chris Cardenas

Emergency and Disaster Preparedness - How Ready Are You?

While we keep fingers crossed that it never happens, sometimes those circumstances are out of our control. How prepared are you if a major disaster were to happen in your town or just in your home? Check out these ideas to help be ready if and when the time comes.

Gallery Credit: JD Knight