QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.7ml

Earthquake near Colville, WA

No earthquake was likely felt in Colville in the 24 hours to 6:54 am PST (14:54 UTC). The last one was M 1.7, 6 km (4 mi) NW, at 10:10 am PDT on 2 April 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Colville

This page: a magnitude 1.7 earthquake was recorded 36 km (22 mi) west-southwest of Colville, WA, at 10:53 pm PST on 20 November 2023 (06:53 UTC), less than 1 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 23 km NW of Inchelium, Washington

10:53 pm PST, Nov 20, 2023 · · 0.7 km deep · released about 9 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Ferry County 11 kmStevens County 40 kmPend Oreille County 85 kmLincoln County 99 kmOkanogan County 101 kmSpokane County 119 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
10:53 pm PST on 20 November 2023 ()
Where
36 km (22 mi) west-southwest of Colville, WA · earthquakes near Colville
Magnitude
M 1.7 (ml)
Depth
0.7 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity I
Nearest
Ferry County, 11 km W
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1030 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 12 km (7 mi) from the epicentre. In Colville, 36 km away, the estimate is intensity I (not felt). 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: Kettle Falls.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 9 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,700,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,200,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 110× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.7 about 9 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 48.4715, -118.3802. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Ferry County, WA 11 km (7 mi) W earthquakes near Ferry County
Stevens County, WA 40 km (25 mi) ESE earthquakes near Stevens County
Pend Oreille County, WA 85 km (53 mi) E earthquakes near Pend Oreille County
Lincoln County, WA 99 km (61 mi) S earthquakes near Lincoln County
Okanogan County, WA 101 km (63 mi) W earthquakes near Okanogan County
Spokane County, WA 119 km (74 mi) SE earthquakes near Spokane County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.4 14 km SW of Addy, Washington
  2. 1.5 13 km W of Valley, Washington
  3. 1.6 14 km WNW of Valley, Washington
  4. 1.6 17 km SE of Inchelium, Washington
  5. 1.6 13 km ENE of Nespelem, Washington
  6. 1.7 5 km NW of Colville, 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.