QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3ml

Earthquake near Riverton, WA

No earthquake was likely felt in Riverton in the 24 hours to 4:15 am PST (12:15 UTC). The last one was M 4.2, 33 km (21 mi) WSW, at 2:05 pm PDT on 29 September 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 9,329 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Riverton

This page: a magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded in Riverton, WA, at 6:43 am PST on 8 March 2019 (14:43 UTC), 15 km deep. 3 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 0 km ESE of Riverton, Washington

16 km (10 mi) SSE of Seattle, WA · in Burien, WA

6:43 am PST, Mar 8, 2019 · · 15 km deep · released about 79 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Riverton Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Kitsap County 32 kmKing County 34 kmPierce County 49 kmMason County 68 kmThurston County 73 kmSnohomish County 75 kmIsland County 80 kmJefferson County 99 kmLewis County 101 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
6:43 am PST on 8 March 2019 ()
Where
in Riverton, WA · earthquakes near Riverton
Magnitude
M 2.3 (ml)
Depth
15 km below the surface
Felt
3 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Kitsap County, 32 km WNW
Nearest mapped fault
Seattle fault, 4 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 2730 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 13 km (8 mi) from the epicentre. 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.

Likely felt in: SeaTac 4 km, intensity II · Burien 4 km, intensity II · Renton 6 km, intensity II · Des Moines 9 km, intensity II · Mercer Island 11 km, intensity II · East Hill-Meridian 12 km, intensity II · Kent 12 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 79 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 5.8 190,000× 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 79 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 6 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.8 The 2001 Nisqually, Washington Earthquake · 50 km SW of this epicentre
  2. 6.7 1 km ENE of Dash Point, Washington · 20 km SSW of this epicentre
  3. 6.1 Puget Sound region, Washington · 36 km WSW of this epicentre
  4. 5.4 8 km NNE of Lake Marcel-Stillwater, Washington · 44 km NE of this epicentre
  5. 5.2 9 km NE of Lake Marcel-Stillwater, Washington · 45 km NE 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 47.4835, -122.2905. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Kitsap County, WA 32 km (20 mi) WNW earthquakes near Kitsap County
King County, WA 34 km (21 mi) E earthquakes near King County
Pierce County, WA 49 km (31 mi) SSE earthquakes near Pierce County
Mason County, WA 68 km (42 mi) WSW earthquakes near Mason County
Thurston County, WA 73 km (46 mi) SW earthquakes near Thurston County
Snohomish County, WA 75 km (46 mi) NNE earthquakes near Snohomish 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.

  1. 1.6 4 km NNW of Lofall, Washington
  2. 1.5 5 km SSW of Gorst, Washington
  3. 2.2 2 km ESE of Duvall, Washington
  4. 1.6 8 km NNW of Bangor Trident Base, Washington
  5. 1.8 3 km NE of Mirrormont, Washington
  6. 1.6 6 km NE of Fall City, Washington
  7. 1.8 4 km N of Duvall, Washington
  8. 1.8 5 km NNE of Duvall, Washington
  9. 1.6 6 km NE of Fall City, Washington
  10. 1.7 3 km ENE of Enetai, Washington
  11. 1.9 3 km WSW of Wilderness Rim, Washington
  12. 1.6 3 km E of Cathcart, Washington
  13. 2.1 Puget Sound region, Washington
  14. 1.5 3 km ENE of Enetai, Washington
  15. 1.6 1 km SW of Keyport, 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.