QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.0ml

Earthquake near Scappoose, OR

No earthquake was likely felt in Scappoose in the 24 hours to 3:46 am PST (11:46 UTC). The last one was M 3.0, 15 km (9 mi) N, at 7:25 am PDT on 22 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 113 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Scappoose

This page: a magnitude 2.0 earthquake was recorded 9 km (6 mi) south of Scappoose, OR, at 2:09 am PST on 27 January 2020 (10:09 UTC), 23 km deep. 5 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 8 km S of Scappoose, Oregon

23 km (14 mi) NW of Portland, OR · 17 km (11 mi) NNE of Hillsboro, OR

2:09 am PST, Jan 27, 2020 · · 23 km deep · released about 30 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Washington County 22 kmClark County 31 kmColumbia County 34 kmMultnomah County 38 kmYamhill County 59 kmCowlitz County 60 kmTillamook County 74 kmClatsop County 76 kmClackamas County 77 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
2:09 am PST on 27 January 2020 ()
Where
9 km (6 mi) south of Scappoose, OR · earthquakes near Scappoose
Magnitude
M 2.0 (ml)
Depth
23 km below the surface
Felt
5 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Washington County, 22 km SW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2407 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 Scappoose, 9 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: Bethany, Felida, North Plains, Lake Shore, Rockcreek, North Portland.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 30 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 5.8 500,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 350,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 32× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.0 about 30 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 2 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.2 5 km E of Bridgeton, Oregon · 22 km ESE of this epicentre
  2. 5.0 3 km SW of Portland, Oregon · 23 km SE 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 45.6738, -122.8660. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Washington County, OR 22 km (14 mi) SW earthquakes near Washington County
Clark County, WA 31 km (20 mi) ENE earthquakes near Clark County
Columbia County, OR 34 km (21 mi) NNW earthquakes near Columbia County
Multnomah County, OR 38 km (23 mi) ESE earthquakes near Multnomah County
Yamhill County, OR 59 km (37 mi) SW earthquakes near Yamhill County
Cowlitz County, WA 60 km (37 mi) NNE earthquakes near Cowlitz County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 4 km NNW of Lewisville, Washington
  2. 2.6 3 km SE of Mill Plain, Washington
  3. 1.6 9 km NE of Vernonia, Oregon
  4. 1.7 1 km WSW of Kalama, Washington
  5. 1.6 2 km ESE of Lewisville, Washington
  6. 1.7 2 km WSW of Columbia City, Oregon
  7. 1.5 2 km SSE of Lewisville, Washington
  8. 2.0 1 km NNW of Salmon Creek, Washington
  9. 1.6 Washington-Oregon border region
  10. 1.7 12 km NE of Vernonia, Oregon
  11. 1.5 13 km ENE of Vernonia, Oregon
  12. 1.7 3 km SSW of Yacolt, Washington
  13. 1.7 3 km NNE of Deer Island, Oregon
  14. 1.8 3 km N of Wilsonville, Oregon
  15. 1.8 1 km ENE of Prescott, 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.