Earthquake near Moscow, ID

USGS: 12 km SSE of De Smet, Idaho

81 km (50 mi) SSE of Spokane, WA

1:58 pm PDT, May 19, 2016 · 2016-05-19 20:58 UTC · -0.2 km deep · released about 41 lb of TNT

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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: 1:58 pm PDT on 19 May 2016 (2016-05-19 20:58 UTC)
Where: 35 km (22 mi) NNE of Moscow, ID · earthquakes near Moscow
Magnitude: M 2.1 (ml)
Depth: -0.2 km below the surface
Felt: no reports yet
Nearest: Latah County, 27 km SSE
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS 3724 days ago · we first saw it 3724 days ago

A magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 35 km (22 mi) NNE of Moscow, ID, at 1:58 pm PDT on 19 May 2016 (20:58 UTC). This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Palouse.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 41 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 370,000× the energy of this one
Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 260,000× the energy of this one
Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 23× the energy of this one
This earthquake M 2.1 about 41 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

Map loads when it scrolls into view

Epicentre 47.0405, -116.8787. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

Place	Distance	Direction from the epicentre
Latah County, ID	27 km (17 mi)	SSE	earthquakes near Latah County
Benewah County, ID	27 km (17 mi)	NE	earthquakes near Benewah County
Whitman County, WA	52 km (32 mi)	WSW	earthquakes near Whitman County
Kootenai County, ID	72 km (45 mi)	N	earthquakes near Kootenai County
Spokane County, WA	76 km (47 mi)	NNW	earthquakes near Spokane County
Nez Perce County, ID	79 km (49 mi)	S	earthquakes near Nez Perce County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

2.2 8 km SW of Potlatch, Idaho 00:41 UTC
1.6 10 km ESE of Moscow, Idaho 21:17 UTC
1.9 7 km WSW of Deary, Idaho 19:16 UTC
1.9 7 km ENE of Troy, Idaho 17:52 UTC
2.1 6 km N of Onaway, Idaho 18:23 UTC
2.1 5 km NNE of Pullman, Washington 22:01 UTC
2.0 2 km NE of Colfax, Washington 17:56 UTC
1.9 8 km SSE of Pullman, Washington 17:04 UTC
2.3 3 km ESE of Pullman, Washington 19:02 UTC
1.8 8 km W of Troy, Idaho 17:47 UTC
2.1 10 km SSW of Saint Maries, Idaho 16:48 UTC
1.9 4 km SSE of Saint Maries, Idaho 20:20 UTC
2.0 4 km E of Plummer, Idaho 18:22 UTC
1.6 6 km WSW of Troy, Idaho 20:25 UTC
2.3 11 km WNW of Deary, Idaho 18:11 UTC

Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of 02:54 UTC. 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.