QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.6ml

Earthquake near Centralia, WA

No earthquake was likely felt in Centralia in the 24 hours to 10:51 am PST (18:51 UTC). The last one was M 4.2, 78 km (49 mi) NNE, at 2:05 pm PDT on 29 September 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 9,329 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Centralia

This page: a magnitude 1.6 earthquake was recorded 42 km (26 mi) east-southeast of Centralia, WA, at 8:43 pm PDT on 10 April 2018 (03:43 UTC), 12 km deep.

USGS: 3 km NE of Mossyrock, Washington

8:43 pm PDT, Apr 10, 2018 · · 12 km deep · released about 7.1 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Centralia Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lewis County 7 kmCowlitz County 43 kmThurston County 51 kmPierce County 60 kmSkamania County 70 kmWahkiakum County 80 kmColumbia County 83 kmClark County 87 kmPacific County 102 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
8:43 pm PDT on 10 April 2018 ()
Where
42 km (26 mi) east-southeast of Centralia, WA · earthquakes near Centralia
Magnitude
M 1.6 (ml)
Depth
12 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Lewis County, 7 km ENE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3136 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. In Centralia, 42 km away, the estimate is intensity I (not felt). 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: Morton.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 7.1 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 2,100,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,500,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 130× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.6 about 7.1 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 15 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 5.7 38 km NNE of Amboy, Washington · 43 km SSE of this epicentre
  2. 5.2 37 km NNE of Amboy, Washington · 43 km SSE of this epicentre
  3. 5.2 23 km S of Morton, Washington · 28 km SE of this epicentre
  4. 5.1 Washington · 42 km SSE of this epicentre
  5. 5.1 38 km NNE of Amboy, Washington · 43 km SSE 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 46.5515, -122.4542. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lewis County, WA 7 km (4 mi) ENE earthquakes near Lewis County
Cowlitz County, WA 43 km (27 mi) SSW earthquakes near Cowlitz County
Thurston County, WA 51 km (32 mi) NNW earthquakes near Thurston County
Pierce County, WA 60 km (37 mi) NNE earthquakes near Pierce County
Skamania County, WA 70 km (44 mi) SSE earthquakes near Skamania County
Wahkiakum County, WA 80 km (50 mi) WSW earthquakes near Wahkiakum County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.8 23 km SSE of Mossyrock, Washington
  2. 1.6 2 km SW of Kapowsin, Washington
  3. 1.6 Washington
  4. 1.6 20 km NE of Kalama, Washington
  5. 1.7 8 km S of Morton, Washington
  6. 2.1 Washington
  7. 1.7 23 km NNE of Amboy, Washington
  8. 1.7 9 km NE of Ashford, Washington
  9. 1.8 18 km ESE of Castle Rock, Washington
  10. 1.8 12 km SE of Mossyrock, Washington
  11. 1.5 25 km S of Mossyrock, Washington
  12. 1.5 3 km SW of Kapowsin, Washington
  13. 1.7 9 km SE of Mossyrock, Washington
  14. 1.6 6 km SW of La Grande, Washington
  15. 1.9 13 km NNE of Mossyrock, 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.