Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist
M 2.2md
Earthquake near Ashland, VA
No earthquake was likely felt in Ashland in the 24 hours to 7:30 am EST (12:30 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 12 km (7 mi) WSW, at 2:50 am EST on 15 January 2025, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 246 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Ashland
This page: a magnitude 2.2 earthquake was recorded 6 km (4 mi) northwest of Ashland, VA, at 11:46 pm EDT on 21 June 2021 (03:46 UTC), 10 km deep. 17 people have reported feeling it to USGS.
USGS: 6 km WNW of Ashland, Virginia
29 km (18 mi) N of Richmond, VA
- When
- 11:46 pm EDT on 21 June 2021 ()
- Where
- 6 km (4 mi) northwest of Ashland, VA · earthquakes near Ashland
- Magnitude
- M 2.2 (md)
- Depth
- 10 km below the surface
- Felt
- 17 reports · strongest reported intensity III
- Nearest
- Hanover County, 5 km SE
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1902 days ago
Earthquake alerts for Ashland, VA
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Alerts are on for .
Not a warning. An alert comes after USGS publishes a quake, usually minutes after the shaking. For early warning use ShakeAlert, through your phone's Wireless Emergency Alerts or the MyShake app.
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 33 km (21 mi) from the epicentre. In Ashland, 6 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: Wyndham, Glen Allen, Laurel, Short Pump, Chamberlayne, Lakeside.
How big was it?
This earthquake released about 69 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.2 would have released about 32 times as much.
- Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 220,000× the energy of this one
- Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 150,000× the energy of this one
- Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 14× the energy of this one
- This earthquake M 2.2 about 69 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 lists one earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km:
- 5.8 11 km SSW of Mineral, Virginia · 38 km WNW of this epicentre
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 37.7890, -77.5367. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby places
| Place | Distance | Direction from the epicentre | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanover County, VA | 5 km (3 mi) | SE | earthquakes near Hanover County |
| Richmond city, VA | 29 km (18 mi) | S | earthquakes near Richmond city |
| Caroline County, VA | 31 km (19 mi) | NNE | earthquakes near Caroline County |
| Goochland County, VA | 34 km (21 mi) | WSW | earthquakes near Goochland County |
| King William County, VA | 40 km (25 mi) | ESE | earthquakes near King William County |
| Louisa County, VA | 42 km (26 mi) | WNW | earthquakes near Louisa County |
Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.
Aftershocks so far
11 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
- 1.8 9 km S of Louisa, Virginia
- 2.3 4 km N of Glen Allen, Virginia
- 2.2 Virginia
- 1.6 16 km S of Louisa, Virginia
- 2.3 15 km S of Louisa, Virginia
- 2.3 16 km S of Louisa, Virginia
- 1.8 9 km S of Louisa, Virginia
- 2.4 13 km NW of Ashland, 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.