QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.2ml

Earthquake near Othello, WA

No earthquake was likely felt in Othello in the 24 hours to 4:34 pm PST (00:34 UTC). The last one was M 2.2, 15 km (9 mi) NW, at 2:57 am PDT on 28 August 2021, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 7 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Othello

This page: a magnitude 2.2 earthquake was recorded 15 km (9 mi) northwest of Othello, WA, at 2:57 am PDT on 28 August 2021 (09:57 UTC), 3.0 km deep. 7 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 14 km NW of Othello, Washington

2:57 am PDT, Aug 28, 2021 · · 3.0 km deep · released about 58 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Grant County 35 kmFranklin County 52 kmAdams County 61 kmBenton County 79 kmDouglas County 96 kmWalla Walla County 97 kmLincoln County 100 kmKittitas County 106 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
2:57 am PDT on 28 August 2021 ()
Where
15 km (9 mi) northwest of Othello, WA · earthquakes near Othello
Magnitude
M 2.2 (ml)
Depth
3.0 km below the surface
Felt
7 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Grant County, 35 km NNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 613 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 18 km (11 mi) from the epicentre. In Othello, 15 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: Warden, Moses Lake, Cascade Valley, Royal City.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 58 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.2 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 260,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 180,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 16× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.2 about 58 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 46.9197, -119.3083. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Grant County, WA 35 km (22 mi) NNW earthquakes near Grant County
Franklin County, WA 52 km (33 mi) SE earthquakes near Franklin County
Adams County, WA 61 km (38 mi) E earthquakes near Adams County
Benton County, WA 79 km (49 mi) SSW earthquakes near Benton County
Douglas County, WA 96 km (60 mi) NNW earthquakes near Douglas County
Walla Walla County, WA 97 km (60 mi) SE earthquakes near Walla Walla County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.7 24 km E of Desert Aire, Washington
  2. 1.8 10 km WSW of Hatton, Washington
  3. 1.9 11 km SE of Desert Aire, Washington
  4. 1.6 11 km SE of Desert Aire, Washington
  5. 2.4 11 km SE of Desert Aire, Washington
  6. 1.7 5 km W of Warden, Washington
  7. 1.6 15 km SW of Odessa, Washington
  8. 1.6 11 km ENE of Mattawa, Washington
  9. 1.5 24 km SSW of Odessa, Washington
  10. 1.9 5 km W of Warden, 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.