QuakeIndex

explosion · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.0ml

Earthquake near Umatilla, OR

USGS: 3 km ESE of Umatilla, Oregon

34 km (21 mi) SSW of Kennewick, WA

1:13 pm PDT, Jun 6, 2018 · · -0.3 km deep · released about 32 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Benton County 40 kmUmatilla County 56 kmMorrow County 58 kmWalla Walla County 74 kmFranklin County 77 kmGilliam County 95 kmKlickitat County 114 kmColumbia County 116 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
1:13 pm PDT on 6 June 2018 ()
Where
4 km (2 mi) ESE of Umatilla, OR · earthquakes near Umatilla
Magnitude
M 2.0 (ml)
Depth
-0.3 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Benton County, 40 km NNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3040 days ago

A magnitude 2.0 earthquake was recorded 4 km (2 mi) ESE of Umatilla, OR, at 1:13 pm PDT on 6 June 2018 (20:13 UTC). 1 person has 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: Hermiston, Irrigon, Stanfield, Highland.

USGS catalogues this as explosion, not an earthquake.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 32 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.0 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 470,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 330,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 30× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.0 about 32 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 45.9018, -119.3007. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Benton County, WA 40 km (25 mi) NNW earthquakes near Benton County
Umatilla County, OR 56 km (35 mi) SE earthquakes near Umatilla County
Morrow County, OR 58 km (36 mi) SSW earthquakes near Morrow County
Walla Walla County, WA 74 km (46 mi) ENE earthquakes near Walla Walla County
Franklin County, WA 77 km (48 mi) NNE earthquakes near Franklin County
Gilliam County, OR 95 km (59 mi) SW earthquakes near Gilliam County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 3 km SE of Umatilla, Oregon
  2. 1.5 4 km SSE of Umatilla, Oregon
  3. 1.9 12 km W of Highland, Washington
  4. 2.0 6 km W of Highland, Washington
  5. 1.5 16 km N of Umatilla, Oregon
  6. 1.6 3 km NNW of Highland, Washington
  7. 1.9 3 km WSW of Benton City, Washington
  8. 1.6 4 km WSW of Benton City, Washington
  9. 1.8 4 km NW of Hermiston, Oregon
  10. 1.6 19 km S of Benton City, Washington
  11. 1.9 10 km ENE of Prosser, Washington
  12. 1.9 5 km SSW of West Richland, Washington
  13. 1.6 10 km NW of Touchet, Washington
  14. 2.2 2 km SSE of Benton City, Washington
  15. 1.8 3 km E of Umatilla, Oregon

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.