QuakeIndex

explosion · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.4ml

Earthquake near Lewiston, ID

No earthquake was likely felt in Lewiston in the 24 hours to 2:24 am PST (10:24 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 8 km (5 mi) SSW, at 2:00 pm PDT on 11 September 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Lewiston

No: USGS classifies this as a explosion, not an earthquake. A magnitude 2.4 explosion was recorded 14 km (9 mi) northeast of Lewiston, ID, at 3:22 pm PDT on 13 March 2023 (22:22 UTC), less than 1 km deep.

USGS: Northern Idaho

3:22 pm PDT, Mar 13, 2023 · · -0.9 km deep · released about 100 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Nez Perce County 23 kmLatah County 36 kmAsotin County 45 kmLewis County 49 kmGarfield County 49 kmWhitman County 64 kmBenewah County 81 kmColumbia County 81 kmClearwater County 97 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
3:22 pm PDT on 13 March 2023 ()
Where
14 km (9 mi) northeast of Lewiston, ID · earthquakes near Lewiston
Idaho today
every earthquake in Idaho in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.4 (ml)
Depth
-0.9 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Nez Perce County, 23 km SSE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1339 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 21 km (13 mi) from the epicentre. In Lewiston, 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: Lapwai, Clarkston, Lewiston Orchards, West Clarkston-Highland, Clarkston Heights-Vineland, Asotin.

USGS catalogues this as explosion, not an earthquake.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 100 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 5.8 140,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 100,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 9.1× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.4 about 100 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 46.5168, -116.9083. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Nez Perce County, ID 23 km (14 mi) SSE earthquakes near Nez Perce County
Latah County, ID 36 km (23 mi) NNE earthquakes near Latah County
Asotin County, WA 45 km (28 mi) SSW earthquakes near Asotin County
Lewis County, ID 49 km (30 mi) SE earthquakes near Lewis County
Garfield County, WA 49 km (31 mi) W earthquakes near Garfield County
Whitman County, WA 64 km (40 mi) NW earthquakes near Whitman County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.7 4 km ESE of Colfax, Washington
  2. 1.1 8 km WSW of Peck, Idaho
  3. 1.7 7 km SW of Troy, Idaho
  4. 2.3 1 km NW of Asotin, Washington
  5. 2.1 5 km ENE of Pullman, Washington
  6. 2.3 9 km ESE of Princeton, Idaho
  7. 1.7 4 km E of Uniontown, Washington
  8. 2.3 4 km ENE of Pullman, Washington
  9. 2.3 5 km SSW of Moscow, Idaho
  10. 1.7 6 km WSW of Troy, Idaho
  11. 1.6 8 km SSE of Pullman, Washington
  12. 2.1 2 km SSE of Lewiston Orchards, Idaho
  13. 2.2 8 km SW of Potlatch, Idaho
  14. 2.2 2 km NE of Lewiston Orchards, Idaho
  15. 1.8 14 km E of Pomeroy, 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.