QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1ml

Earthquake near Centralia, WA

No earthquake was likely felt in Centralia in the 24 hours to 3:14 am PST (11:14 UTC). The last one was M 4.2, 78 km (49 mi) NNE, at 2:05 pm PDT on 29 September 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 9,329 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Centralia

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 41 km (26 mi) east-southeast of Centralia, WA, at 2:47 am PDT on 10 July 2021 (09:47 UTC), 12 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 9 km NNE of Mossyrock, Washington

56 km (35 mi) SSE of Lacey, WA · 113 km (70 mi) S of Seattle, WA

2:47 am PDT, Jul 10, 2021 · · 12 km deep · released about 47 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lewis County 6 kmThurston County 47 kmCowlitz County 49 kmPierce County 54 kmSkamania County 75 kmWahkiakum County 83 kmColumbia County 89 kmClark County 93 kmMason County 100 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
2:47 am PDT on 10 July 2021 ()
Where
41 km (26 mi) east-southeast of Centralia, WA · earthquakes near Centralia
Magnitude
M 2.1 (ml)
Depth
12 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Lewis County, 6 km ESE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 614 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. In Centralia, 41 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: Morton.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 47 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 5.8 320,000× 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 20× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 47 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 16 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.7 4 km WNW of Roy, Washington · 47 km NNW of this epicentre
  2. 5.7 38 km NNE of Amboy, Washington · 48 km SSE of this epicentre
  3. 5.2 37 km NNE of Amboy, Washington · 49 km SSE of this epicentre
  4. 5.2 23 km S of Morton, Washington · 33 km SSE of this epicentre
  5. 5.1 Washington · 47 km SSE 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 46.6067, -122.4405. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lewis County, WA 6 km (4 mi) ESE earthquakes near Lewis County
Thurston County, WA 47 km (29 mi) NW earthquakes near Thurston County
Cowlitz County, WA 49 km (31 mi) SSW earthquakes near Cowlitz County
Pierce County, WA 54 km (34 mi) NNE earthquakes near Pierce County
Skamania County, WA 75 km (46 mi) SSE earthquakes near Skamania County
Wahkiakum County, WA 83 km (52 mi) WSW earthquakes near Wahkiakum 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. 2.1 7 km NE of Ashford, Washington
  2. 1.5 37 km NNE of Amboy, Washington
  3. 1.6 1 km WNW of Kapowsin, Washington
  4. 1.7 10 km NE of Castle Rock, Washington
  5. 1.9 10 km ENE of Ashford, Washington
  6. 1.6 1 km W of Winlock, Washington
  7. 1.7 2 km WNW of Kapowsin, Washington
  8. 1.6 16 km NNE of Ashford, Washington
  9. 2.3 15 km NNE of Ashford, Washington
  10. 1.8 10 km NE of Castle Rock, Washington
  11. 1.6 9 km NE of Castle Rock, Washington
  12. 1.9 3 km WNW of Winlock, Washington
  13. 1.6 2 km ESE of Kapowsin, Washington
  14. 1.9 12 km NNE of Ashford, Washington
  15. 1.6 11 km NE of Ashford, 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.