QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3ml

5 km SSE of Esquimalt, Canada

Yes. A magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 5 km SSE of Esquimalt, Canada, at 12:10 pm PST on 9 November 2025 (20:10 UTC), 26 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

· 26 km deep · released about 85 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N San Juan County 25 kmClallam County 48 kmIsland County 59 kmJefferson County 66 kmKitsap County 100 kmMason County 117 kmSkagit County 117 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
Magnitude
M 2.3 (ml)
Depth
26 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
San Juan County, 25 km ENE
Nearest mapped fault
Southern Whidbey Island fault, under 1 km from its surface trace — near is not the same as on
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 287 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth it was probably too small to be felt, even directly above it. 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.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 85 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.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 180,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 130,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 11× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 85 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.

Where

Epicentre 48.3885, -123.3892. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
San Juan County, WA 25 km (15 mi) ENE earthquakes near San Juan County
Clallam County, WA 48 km (30 mi) SW earthquakes near Clallam County
Island County, WA 59 km (37 mi) ESE earthquakes near Island County
Jefferson County, WA 66 km (41 mi) S earthquakes near Jefferson County
Kitsap County, WA 100 km (62 mi) SSE earthquakes near Kitsap County
Mason County, WA 117 km (72 mi) S earthquakes near Mason County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 0.9 7 km W of Orcas, Washington
  2. 1.3 4 km NNW of Victoria, Canada
  3. 1.2 11 km SW of Friday Harbor, Washington
  4. 1.4 8 km SW of Port Angeles, Washington
  5. 1.8 2 km S of Colwood, Canada
  6. 0.7 3 km N of North Saanich, Canada
  7. 1.2 9 km NW of Friday Harbor, Washington
  8. 1.1 6 km W of Orcas, Washington
  9. 1.1 6 km W of Orcas, Washington
  10. 1.5 3 km N of Langford, Canada
  11. 0.9 2 km ENE of Six Mile, Canada
  12. 0.4 6 km ENE of Oak Bay, Canada
  13. 1.2 7 km N of Six Mile, Canada
  14. 1.4 10 km WSW of Friday Harbor, Washington
  15. 1.7 8 km SSE of Oak Bay, Canada

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.