 The earthquake 's epicenter lay near Manhattan , Kansas , a town just off the connection of the Kansas River and the Big Blue River . Nearby is the anticline Nemaha Ridge , which has been associated with at least a few earthquakes of Kansas . A 300 ‑ million @-@ year @-@ old Precambrian granite range bounded by faults , it hosts the Humboldt Fault Zone , which , in addition to serving as the range 's easternmost boundary , has produced a large portion of the state 's earthquakes . Each year , it is responsible for at least several small tremors less than magnitude 2 @.@ 7 . It cuts through Permian rock , and according to the Geological Society of America , may actually be a complex fault . Previously , it was believed to be a simple , Precambrian structure . 
