QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3ml

Earthquake near Yacolt, WA

No earthquake was likely felt in Yacolt in the 24 hours to 12:38 am PST (08:38 UTC). The last one was M 1.6, 7 km (5 mi) SW, at 4:25 pm PDT on 19 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Yacolt

This page: a magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 14 km (9 mi) east-northeast of Yacolt, WA, at 3:42 am PDT on 25 March 2021 (10:42 UTC), 8.1 km deep. 3 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 14 km ENE of Yacolt, Washington

53 km (33 mi) NE of Portland, OR · 41 km (26 mi) NE of Vancouver, WA

3:42 am PDT, Mar 25, 2021 · · 8.1 km deep · released about 72 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Clark County 25 kmSkamania County 25 kmMultnomah County 43 kmCowlitz County 47 kmHood River County 63 kmColumbia County 66 kmLewis County 75 kmWashington County 78 kmClackamas County 83 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
3:42 am PDT on 25 March 2021 ()
Where
14 km (9 mi) east-northeast of Yacolt, WA · earthquakes near Yacolt
Magnitude
M 2.3 (ml)
Depth
8.1 km below the surface
Felt
3 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Clark County, 25 km SW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1990 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 17 km (11 mi) from the epicentre. In Yacolt, 14 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: Amboy, Venersborg, Lewisville, Battle Ground, Hockinson.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 72 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 5.8 210,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 150,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 13× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 72 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 17 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 5.7 38 km NNE of Amboy, Washington · 33 km N of this epicentre
  2. 5.2 5 km E of Bridgeton, Oregon · 45 km SW of this epicentre
  3. 5.2 37 km NNE of Amboy, Washington · 33 km N of this epicentre
  4. 5.2 23 km S of Morton, Washington · 49 km N of this epicentre
  5. 5.1 28 km ENE of Amboy, Washington · 15 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 45.9097, -122.2315. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Clark County, WA 25 km (16 mi) SW earthquakes near Clark County
Skamania County, WA 25 km (16 mi) ENE earthquakes near Skamania County
Multnomah County, OR 43 km (27 mi) SSW earthquakes near Multnomah County
Cowlitz County, WA 47 km (29 mi) NW earthquakes near Cowlitz County
Hood River County, OR 63 km (39 mi) SE earthquakes near Hood River County
Columbia County, OR 66 km (41 mi) W earthquakes near Columbia County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 Washington-Oregon border region
  2. 1.9 3 km W of Yacolt, Washington
  3. 1.7 1 km WSW of Yacolt, Washington
  4. 1.5 8 km N of Amboy, Washington
  5. 1.6 3 km WSW of Yacolt, Washington
  6. 1.6 3 km SW of Yacolt, Washington
  7. 1.7 39 km NNE of Amboy, Washington
  8. 1.6 3 km WSW of Yacolt, Washington
  9. 1.7 4 km WSW of Yacolt, Washington
  10. 1.5 26 km S of Morton, Washington
  11. 2.4 30 km ENE of Amboy, Washington
  12. 2.4 29 km ENE of Amboy, Washington
  13. 1.6 31 km NNE of Amboy, Washington
  14. 1.6 3 km E of Battle Ground, Washington
  15. 1.7 3 km NNE of La Center, 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.