QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.7ml

Earthquake near Moscow, ID

No earthquake was likely felt in Moscow in the 24 hours to 6:54 pm PST (02:54 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 9 km (6 mi) WNW, at 12:55 pm PDT on 10 September 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near Moscow

This page: a magnitude 2.7 earthquake was recorded 45 km (28 mi) east of Moscow, ID, at 7:06 am PDT on 20 September 2016 (14:06 UTC), 10 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 16 km SE of Deary, Idaho

7:06 am PDT, Sep 20, 2016 · · 10 km deep · released about 340 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Latah County 28 kmNez Perce County 47 kmLewis County 50 kmClearwater County 58 kmBenewah County 61 kmShoshone County 84 kmAsotin County 84 kmWhitman County 88 kmGarfield County 90 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction and later quakes as coloured dots. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
7:06 am PDT on 20 September 2016 ()
Where
45 km (28 mi) east of Moscow, ID · earthquakes near Moscow
Idaho today
every earthquake in Idaho in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.7 (ml)
Depth
10 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity I
Nearest
Latah County, 28 km WNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2416 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 23 km (14 mi) from the epicentre. In Moscow, 45 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: Orofino.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 340 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 45,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 32,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 2.8× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.7 about 340 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 46.6882, -116.4178. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Latah County, ID 28 km (17 mi) WNW earthquakes near Latah County
Nez Perce County, ID 47 km (29 mi) SW earthquakes near Nez Perce County
Lewis County, ID 50 km (31 mi) S earthquakes near Lewis County
Clearwater County, ID 58 km (36 mi) E earthquakes near Clearwater County
Benewah County, ID 61 km (38 mi) NNW earthquakes near Benewah County
Shoshone County, ID 84 km (52 mi) NNE earthquakes near Shoshone County

Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.

Aftershocks so far

41 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 1.1 8 km WSW of Peck, Idaho
  2. 1.7 7 km SW of Troy, Idaho
  3. 2.3 9 km ESE of Princeton, Idaho
  4. 1.7 6 km WSW of Troy, Idaho
  5. 1.6 10 km ESE of Moscow, Idaho
  6. 1.9 7 km WSW of Deary, Idaho
  7. 1.9 7 km ENE of Troy, Idaho
  8. 2.1 6 km N of Onaway, Idaho
  9. 2.1 7 km SSW of Orofino, Idaho
  10. 1.8 8 km W of Troy, Idaho
  11. 1.8 6 km SSW of Genesee, Idaho
  12. 1.6 6 km WSW of Troy, Idaho
  13. 1.6 2 km N of Elk River, Idaho
  14. 2.3 11 km WNW of Deary, Idaho
  15. 1.6 6 km N of Genesee, Idaho

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

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.