QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.4ml

Earthquake near Morton, WA

No earthquake was likely felt in Morton in the 24 hours to 5:01 am PST (13:01 UTC). The last one was M 4.2, 100 km (62 mi) NNW, at 2:05 pm PDT on 29 September 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 9,329 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Morton

This page: a magnitude 2.4 earthquake was recorded 12 km (8 mi) southwest of Morton, WA, at 8:57 pm PST on 2 February 2022 (04:57 UTC), 14 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 9 km SE of Mossyrock, Washington

8:57 pm PST, Feb 2, 2022 · · 14 km deep · released about 120 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lewis County 11 kmCowlitz County 39 kmThurston County 61 kmSkamania County 61 kmPierce County 66 kmClark County 79 kmColumbia County 80 kmWahkiakum County 82 kmMultnomah County 104 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
8:57 pm PST on 2 February 2022 ()
Where
12 km (8 mi) southwest of Morton, WA · earthquakes near Morton
Magnitude
M 2.4 (ml)
Depth
14 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Lewis County, 11 km N
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1673 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 16 km (10 mi) from the epicentre. In Morton, 12 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.

Likely felt in: Morton 12 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 120 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.4 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 130,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 92,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 8.2× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.4 about 120 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 15 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 5.7 38 km NNE of Amboy, Washington · 34 km SSE of this epicentre
  2. 5.2 37 km NNE of Amboy, Washington · 34 km SSE of this epicentre
  3. 5.2 23 km S of Morton, Washington · 19 km SE of this epicentre
  4. 5.1 Washington · 33 km SSE of this epicentre
  5. 5.1 38 km NNE of Amboy, Washington · 34 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 46.4813, -122.3900. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lewis County, WA 11 km (7 mi) N earthquakes near Lewis County
Cowlitz County, WA 39 km (24 mi) SW earthquakes near Cowlitz County
Thurston County, WA 61 km (38 mi) NNW earthquakes near Thurston County
Skamania County, WA 61 km (38 mi) SSE earthquakes near Skamania County
Pierce County, WA 66 km (41 mi) NNE earthquakes near Pierce County
Clark County, WA 79 km (49 mi) S earthquakes near Clark County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.5 14 km SSW of Morton, Washington
  2. 2.1 5 km SE of Mossyrock, Washington
  3. 1.6 4 km NE of Mossyrock, Washington
  4. 1.7 39 km NNE of Amboy, Washington
  5. 1.5 11 km SSE of Toledo, Washington
  6. 2.4 3 km ESE of Mossyrock, Washington
  7. 2.0 6 km NNW of Mossyrock, Washington
  8. 1.5 9 km SSE of Toledo, Washington
  9. 1.8 9 km NE of Castle Rock, Washington
  10. 2.4 Washington
  11. 1.8 11 km SSE of Toledo, Washington
  12. 1.5 26 km S of Morton, Washington
  13. 2.3 12 km NW of Morton, Washington
  14. 1.6 31 km NNE of Amboy, Washington
  15. 2.9 12 km NW of Morton, 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.