QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1ml

13 km NNW of Shaniko, Oregon

Yes. A magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 13 km NNW of Shaniko, Oregon, at 11:09 pm PST on 22 November 2020 (07:09 UTC), 16 km deep.

· 16 km deep · released about 46 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Wasco County 29 kmSherman County 32 kmGilliam County 50 kmJefferson County 61 kmWheeler County 74 kmHood River County 80 kmKlickitat County 83 kmMorrow County 99 kmClackamas County 110 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
Magnitude
M 2.1 (ml)
Depth
16 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Wasco County, 29 km W
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2181 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 6 km (4 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.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 46 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 5.8 330,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 230,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 21× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 46 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 45.1212, -120.7968. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Wasco County, OR 29 km (18 mi) W earthquakes near Wasco County
Sherman County, OR 32 km (20 mi) NNE earthquakes near Sherman County
Gilliam County, OR 50 km (31 mi) NE earthquakes near Gilliam County
Jefferson County, OR 61 km (38 mi) SSW earthquakes near Jefferson County
Wheeler County, OR 74 km (46 mi) SE earthquakes near Wheeler County
Hood River County, OR 80 km (50 mi) WNW earthquakes near Hood River County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.7 8 km SE of Wasco, Oregon
  2. 1.9 4 km SE of Pine Grove, Oregon
  3. 1.5 5 km ESE of Dufur, Oregon
  4. 1.6 1 km E of Moro, Oregon
  5. 1.6 17 km SSW of Grass Valley, Oregon
  6. 1.5 11 km SSE of Pine Grove, Oregon
  7. 1.7 5 km ESE of Pine Grove, Oregon
  8. 1.6 11 km SSE of Maupin, Oregon
  9. 1.8 15 km NNW of Shaniko, 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.