Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist
M 2.4md
Earthquake near Bowling Green, VA
No earthquake was likely felt in Bowling Green in the 24 hours to 5:40 am EST (10:40 UTC). The last one was M 2.8, 44 km (28 mi) SSW, at 5:28 pm EST on 14 January 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1,580 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Bowling Green
This page: a magnitude 2.4 earthquake was recorded 3 km (2 mi) south of Bowling Green, VA, at 11:31 pm EDT on 24 August 2017 (03:31 UTC), 12 km deep. 7 people have reported feeling it to USGS.
USGS: 3 km S of Bowling Green, Virginia
55 km (34 mi) NNE of Richmond, VA · 103 km (64 mi) SSW of Washington, DC
- When
- 11:31 pm EDT on 24 August 2017 ()
- Where
- 3 km (2 mi) south of Bowling Green, VA · earthquakes near Bowling Green
- Magnitude
- M 2.4 (md)
- Depth
- 12 km below the surface
- Felt
- 7 reports · strongest reported intensity III
- Nearest
- Caroline County, 1 km NW
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3276 days ago
Earthquake alerts for Bowling Green, 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 40 km (25 mi) from the epicentre. In Bowling Green, 3 km away, the estimate is intensity III (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: Spotsylvania Courthouse.
How big was it?
This earthquake released about 120 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.4 would have released about 32 times as much.
- Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 130,000× the energy of this one
- Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 89,000× the energy of this one
- Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 7.9× the energy of this one
- This earthquake M 2.4 about 120 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 38.0185, -77.3448. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby places
| Place | Distance | Direction from the epicentre | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caroline County, VA | 1 km (1 mi) | NW | earthquakes near Caroline County |
| Hanover County, VA | 31 km (20 mi) | SSW | earthquakes near Hanover County |
| Spotsylvania County, VA | 33 km (20 mi) | NW | earthquakes near Spotsylvania County |
| King George County, VA | 33 km (20 mi) | NNE | earthquakes near King George County |
| Fredericksburg city, VA | 34 km (21 mi) | NNW | earthquakes near Fredericksburg city |
| Essex County, VA | 37 km (23 mi) | ESE | earthquakes near Essex County |
Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.
Aftershocks so far
8 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.
- 1.6 3 km SW of Wyndham, Virginia
- 2.3 1 km NE of Wyndham, Virginia
- 2.8 1 km NNE of Wyndham, Virginia
- 2.3 4 km N of Glen Allen, Virginia
- 2.2 Virginia
- 2.4 13 km NW of Ashland, Virginia
- 2.2 6 km WNW of Ashland, Virginia
- 2.5 3 km WNW of Wyndham, Virginia
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.