QuakeIndex

explosion · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1ml

Earthquake near Spokane, WA

USGS: 7 km SSW of Spokane, Washington

8 km (5 mi) SSW of Spokane, WA

5:12 pm PDT, Jun 28, 2017 · · -0.6 km deep · released about 49 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Spokane County 6 kmKootenai County 59 kmLincoln County 70 kmBenewah County 77 kmWhitman County 78 kmStevens County 91 kmAdams County 102 kmBonner County 102 kmLatah County 104 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
5:12 pm PDT on 28 June 2017 ()
Where
7 km (5 mi) SSW of Spokane, WA · earthquakes near Spokane
Magnitude
M 2.1 (ml)
Depth
-0.6 km below the surface
Felt
3 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Spokane County, 6 km ENE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2331 days ago

A magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 7 km (5 mi) SSW of Spokane, WA, at 5:12 pm PDT on 28 June 2017 (00:12 UTC). 3 people have reported feeling it to USGS. This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Airway Heights, Fairchild Air Force Base, Town and Country, Cheney, Medical Lake, Country Homes.

USGS catalogues this as explosion, not an earthquake.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 49 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.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 310,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 220,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 19× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 49 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 47.6052, -117.4827. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Spokane County, WA 6 km (4 mi) ENE earthquakes near Spokane County
Kootenai County, ID 59 km (37 mi) E earthquakes near Kootenai County
Lincoln County, WA 70 km (44 mi) W earthquakes near Lincoln County
Benewah County, ID 77 km (48 mi) ESE earthquakes near Benewah County
Whitman County, WA 78 km (48 mi) S earthquakes near Whitman County
Stevens County, WA 91 km (57 mi) NNW earthquakes near Stevens County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.1 3 km N of Mead, Washington
  2. 2.1 10 km NNE of Sprague, Washington
  3. 1.8 16 km NNE of Sprague, Washington
  4. 2.1 13 km NNE of Sprague, Washington
  5. 2.0 9 km NE of Sprague, Washington
  6. 2.2 8 km E of Sprague, Washington
  7. 1.9 10 km SSW of Opportunity, Washington
  8. 1.9 10 km NE of Sprague, Washington
  9. 2.0 2 km N of Fairwood, Washington
  10. 2.3 10 km ENE of Sprague, Washington
  11. 2.2 12 km NE of Sprague, Washington
  12. 2.2 13 km NE of Sprague, Washington
  13. 2.2 13 km NE of Sprague, Washington
  14. 1.5 2 km N of Mead, Washington
  15. 1.9 11 km NNE of Sprague, 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.