Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist
M 2.3md
Earthquake near Forest, VA
No earthquake was likely felt in Forest in the 24 hours to 7:29 am EST (12:29 UTC). The last one was M 4.8, 539 km (335 mi) NE, at 10:23 am EDT on 5 April 2024, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 184,673 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Forest
This page: a magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 10 km (6 mi) west-southwest of Forest, VA, at 10:20 pm EST on 9 February 2022 (03:20 UTC), 8.1 km deep. 52 people have reported feeling it to USGS.
USGS: 9 km WSW of Forest, Virginia
19 km (12 mi) WSW of Lynchburg, VA · 144 km (89 mi) NNE of Greensboro, NC
- When
- 10:20 pm EST on 9 February 2022 ()
- Where
- 10 km (6 mi) west-southwest of Forest, VA · earthquakes near Forest
- Magnitude
- M 2.3 (md)
- Depth
- 8.1 km below the surface
- Felt
- 52 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
- Nearest
- Bedford County, 12 km WSW
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1667 days ago
Earthquake alerts for Forest, VA
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This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.
At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 37 km (23 mi) from the epicentre. In Forest, 10 km away, the estimate is intensity II (weak). Estimated from magnitude, depth and distance with the intensity equation USGS Did You Feel It? uses; felt reports, where there are any, are the measurement.
Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Bedford, Timberlake, West Lynchburg, Lynchburg, Madison Heights, Rustburg.
How big was it?
This earthquake released about 91 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.3 would have released about 32 times as much.
- Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 170,000× the energy of this one
- Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 120,000× the energy of this one
- Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 10× the energy of this one
- This earthquake M 2.3 about 91 lb of TNT
Energy from the Gutenberg–Richter relation (log10E = 1.5M + 4.8), rounded to two figures; bar length is magnitude, which is already a logarithm of energy. Magnitudes of past earthquakes from the USGS catalogue.
For this area
No earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded within 50 km since our catalogue begins in 2016.
Before 2016, the USGS record since 1900 lists no earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km.
Since 2016: the QuakeIndex catalogue (US, M1.5+), built from the USGS FDSN event service. Before 2016: USGS ComCat, M5+ from 1900. Distances are between epicentres. This is the record, not a forecast.
Where
Epicentre 37.3397, -79.3980. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby places
| Place | Distance | Direction from the epicentre | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford County, VA | 12 km (7 mi) | WSW | earthquakes near Bedford County |
| Lynchburg city, VA | 19 km (12 mi) | ENE | earthquakes near Lynchburg city |
| Campbell County, VA | 30 km (19 mi) | ESE | earthquakes near Campbell County |
| Amherst County, VA | 39 km (24 mi) | NNE | earthquakes near Amherst County |
| Botetourt County, VA | 43 km (27 mi) | NW | earthquakes near Botetourt County |
| Buena Vista city, VA | 43 km (27 mi) | N | earthquakes near Buena Vista city |
Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.
Aftershocks so far
1 earthquake has been recorded within 50 km since this one.
Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of . QuakeIndex does not forecast aftershocks. When USGS issues an operational aftershock forecast it appears on the USGS event page.
On USGS
- The official USGS event page — the source of record for every value above
- Did you feel it? Report it to USGS — reports go to USGS, not to us
- ShakeMap for this event, when USGS has produced one
QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.