QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3ml

Earthquake near Gold Bar, WA

Yes. A magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 5 km (3 mi) ENE of Gold Bar, WA, at 1:45 pm PDT on 22 July 2017 (20:45 UTC), 8.8 km deep.

This was on 22 July 2017. The latest near Gold Bar: M 2.5 on 26 June 2026.

USGS: 3 km ENE of May Creek, Washington

61 km (38 mi) ENE of Seattle, WA · 42 km (26 mi) ENE of Redmond, WA

1:45 pm PDT, Jul 22, 2017 · · 8.8 km deep · released about 82 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Gold Bar Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Snohomish County 23 kmKing County 45 kmSkagit County 71 kmChelan County 75 kmKitsap County 81 kmIsland County 84 kmPierce County 99 kmKittitas County 109 kmWhatcom County 109 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
1:45 pm PDT on 22 July 2017 ()
Where
5 km (3 mi) ENE of Gold Bar, WA · earthquakes near Gold Bar
Magnitude
M 2.3 (ml)
Depth
8.8 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Snohomish County, 23 km NNW
Nearest mapped fault
Cherry Creek fault, 23 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 3368 days ago

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 18 km (11 mi) from the epicentre. In Gold Bar, 5 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: Sultan, Woods Creek, Monroe, Monroe North, Lake Marcel-Stillwater, Three Lakes.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 82 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 12× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 82 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 3 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.4 8 km NNE of Lake Marcel-Stillwater, Washington · 22 km WSW of this epicentre
  2. 5.2 9 km NE of Lake Marcel-Stillwater, Washington · 20 km SW of this epicentre
  3. 5.0 4 km ENE of Machias, Washington · 31 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 47.8685, -121.6277. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Snohomish County, WA 23 km (14 mi) NNW earthquakes near Snohomish County
King County, WA 45 km (28 mi) SSW earthquakes near King County
Skagit County, WA 71 km (44 mi) NNW earthquakes near Skagit County
Chelan County, WA 75 km (47 mi) E earthquakes near Chelan County
Kitsap County, WA 81 km (50 mi) WSW earthquakes near Kitsap County
Island County, WA 84 km (52 mi) WNW earthquakes near Island County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.1 6 km E of Carnation, Washington
  2. 1.5 7 km ESE of Carnation, Washington
  3. 2.0 2 km ENE of Granite Falls, Washington
  4. 1.6 9 km NE of Duvall, Washington
  5. 2.0 2 km NE of Granite Falls, Washington
  6. 2.4 5 km SSE of May Creek, Washington
  7. 2.1 10 km SW of Swede Heaven, Washington
  8. 2.0 3 km E of Granite Falls, Washington
  9. 1.8 12 km S of Darrington, Washington
  10. 1.5 12 km S of Darrington, Washington
  11. 1.8 3 km ENE of Granite Falls, Washington
  12. 1.8 8 km NE of Lake Marcel-Stillwater, Washington
  13. 2.0 4 km WSW of Darrington, Washington
  14. 1.8 3 km ENE of Granite Falls, Washington
  15. 1.8 5 km NE of Granite Falls, Washington

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.