The Largest Earthquakes in Michigan History

While Michigan isn't the first place you'd think of when you hear 'earthquake,' that doesn't mean the Mitten State hasn't had its fair share. While countless tremors can't be felt throughout a year, at least six quakes have caused damage in the modern era of magnitude tracking.

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While most of the earthquakes in Michigan go unnoticed, some have been strong enough that residents have felt the ground move beneath them. One of these quakes was significant enough to cause structural damage around the epicenter and several miles away.

Measure Michigan's Earthquake Magnitudes

Here's a brief overview of how the magnitude scale for earthquakes measures the severity of a tectonic event (Richter Scale), according to Michigan Technological University

• 0 - 2.5
  • not typically felt, but measured via seismograph
  • millions of these types of earthquakes happen every year
• 2.6 - 5.4
  • these quakes can be felt but rarely cause any damage
  • roughly 500,000 earthquakes falling between these magnitude ranges happen annually
• 5.5 - 6.0
  • damage to buildings and other structures
  • usually, around 350 quakes fall in this range each year
• 6.1 - 6.9
  • if these quakes happen in highly populated areas, they may cause significant damage
  • only around 100 earthquakes of this severity take place annually
• 7.0 - 7.9
  • a major earthquake that will cause serious damage
• 8.0 or greater
  • a great seismic event, an earthquake that can completely decimate communities close to the epicenter

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The 6 Biggest Earthquakes in Modern-Day Michigan Seismic History

Since Michigan was once covered with fields of lava or heavily pressed upon by massive glaciers, it's impossible to say if the events listed below are the largest seismic events in state history.

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However, these are the largest earthquakes in the Great Lake States since modern science began actively monitoring tremors and assigning them a magnitude.