QuakeIndex

explosion · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9ml

Earthquake near Sandy, OR

No earthquake was likely felt in Sandy in the 24 hours to 12:11 am PST (08:11 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 11 km (7 mi) NNE, at 11:46 am PDT on 24 April 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Sandy

No: USGS classifies this as a explosion, not an earthquake. A magnitude 1.9 explosion was recorded 14 km (9 mi) northeast of Sandy, OR, at 2:29 pm PDT on 8 April 2024 (21:29 UTC), less than 1 km deep.

USGS: 14 km NE of Sandy, Oregon

39 km (24 mi) E of Portland, OR · 23 km (14 mi) E of Gresham, OR

2:29 pm PDT, Apr 8, 2024 · · -1.4 km deep · released about 19 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Multnomah County 21 kmClackamas County 38 kmHood River County 39 kmClark County 40 kmSkamania County 60 kmWashington County 74 kmMarion County 74 kmWasco County 86 kmColumbia County 87 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
2:29 pm PDT on 8 April 2024 ()
Where
14 km (9 mi) northeast of Sandy, OR · earthquakes near Sandy
Magnitude
M 1.9 (ml)
Depth
-1.4 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Multnomah County, 21 km WNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 948 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 14 km (9 mi) from the epicentre. In Sandy, 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: Washougal, Troutdale, Mount Hood Village, Wood Village, Camas, Gresham.

USGS catalogues this as explosion, not an earthquake.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 19 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 810,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 580,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 51× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 19 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 2 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.2 5 km E of Bridgeton, Oregon · 37 km WNW of this epicentre
  2. 5.0 3 km SW of Portland, Oregon · 43 km W 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 45.4998, -122.1528. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Multnomah County, OR 21 km (13 mi) WNW earthquakes near Multnomah County
Clackamas County, OR 38 km (24 mi) S earthquakes near Clackamas County
Hood River County, OR 39 km (24 mi) E earthquakes near Hood River County
Clark County, WA 40 km (25 mi) NW earthquakes near Clark County
Skamania County, WA 60 km (38 mi) NNE earthquakes near Skamania County
Washington County, OR 74 km (46 mi) W earthquakes near Washington 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. 1.6 7 km ESE of Molalla, Oregon
  2. 1.7 4 km NNW of Mount Hood Village, Oregon
  3. 1.5 2 km SSW of Yacolt, Washington
  4. 1.7 3 km NW of Venersborg, Washington
  5. 1.5 4 km WNW of Camas, Washington
  6. 1.6 4 km SSW of Amboy, Washington
  7. 1.6 5 km SW of Yacolt, Washington
  8. 2.1 10 km NNE of Sandy, Oregon
  9. 1.7 5 km SSE of Yacolt, Washington
  10. 1.6 10 km NNW of Carson, Washington
  11. 1.6 5 km NNE of Venersborg, Washington
  12. 1.9 1 km ESE of North Portland, Oregon
  13. 1.8 4 km SSE of Stafford, Oregon
  14. 1.6 3 km W of Yacolt, Washington
  15. 1.9 8 km NNE of Government Camp, Oregon

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.