QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.0ml

4 km NE of Oak Bay, Canada

Yes. A magnitude 2.0 earthquake was recorded 4 km NE of Oak Bay, Canada, at 11:03 pm PDT on 13 July 2021 (06:03 UTC), 21 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

· 21 km deep · released about 31 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N San Juan County 12 kmIsland County 56 kmClallam County 62 kmJefferson County 78 kmKitsap County 104 kmSkagit County 106 kmWhatcom County 112 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 2.0 (ml)
Depth
21 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
San Juan County, 12 km ENE
Nearest mapped fault
Utsalady Point fault, 11 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 614 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. 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: Friday Harbor.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 31 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 5.8 480,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 340,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 31× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.0 about 31 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.

Where

Epicentre 48.4815, -123.2572. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
San Juan County, WA 12 km (7 mi) ENE earthquakes near San Juan County
Island County, WA 56 km (35 mi) SE earthquakes near Island County
Clallam County, WA 62 km (39 mi) SW earthquakes near Clallam County
Jefferson County, WA 78 km (48 mi) SSW earthquakes near Jefferson County
Kitsap County, WA 104 km (65 mi) SSE earthquakes near Kitsap County
Skagit County, WA 106 km (66 mi) E earthquakes near Skagit 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. 1.5 10 km NW of Friday Harbor, Washington
  2. 1.6 10 km ESE of Orcas, Washington
  3. 2.5 14 km W of Marietta, Washington
  4. 1.7 8 km WNW of Friday Harbor, Washington
  5. 2.6 21 km S of Friday Harbor, Washington
  6. 1.6 7 km S of Saanichton, Canada
  7. 1.6 4 km SSW of Esquimalt, Canada
  8. 2.2 3 km NW of Victoria, Canada
  9. 1.5 Washington
  10. 1.9 10 km N of Sooke, Canada
  11. 1.6 8 km WNW of Friday Harbor, Washington
  12. 1.8 9 km NW of Friday Harbor, Washington
  13. 1.7 1 km NNW of River Road, Washington
  14. 2.0 13 km W of Ault Field, Washington
  15. 2.0 10 km E of Oak Bay, Canada

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.