QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8ml

Earthquake near Toppenish, WA

No earthquake was likely felt in Toppenish in the 24 hours to 6:55 am PST (14:55 UTC). The last one was M 3.1, 23 km (14 mi) W, at 9:23 am PDT on 11 August 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 57 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Toppenish

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 32 km (20 mi) south-southwest of Toppenish, WA, at 12:53 am PDT on 9 August 2024 (07:53 UTC), 15 km deep.

USGS: 19 km NW of Bickleton, Washington

53 km (33 mi) S of Yakima, WA

12:53 am PDT, Aug 9, 2024 · · 15 km deep · released about 16 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Klickitat County 35 kmYakima County 42 kmBenton County 76 kmSherman County 81 kmGilliam County 83 kmMorrow County 103 kmHood River County 113 kmKittitas County 113 kmSkamania County 113 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
12:53 am PDT on 9 August 2024 ()
Where
32 km (20 mi) south-southwest of Toppenish, WA · earthquakes near Toppenish
Magnitude
M 1.8 (ml)
Depth
15 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Klickitat County, 35 km SW
Nearest mapped fault
Toppenish Ridge structures, 19 km from its surface trace — near is not the same as on
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 729 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth it was probably too small to be felt, even directly above it. In Toppenish, 32 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.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 16 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 970,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 680,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 61× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.8 about 16 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 46.1180, -120.4907. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Klickitat County, WA 35 km (22 mi) SW earthquakes near Klickitat County
Yakima County, WA 42 km (26 mi) NNW earthquakes near Yakima County
Benton County, WA 76 km (47 mi) E earthquakes near Benton County
Sherman County, OR 81 km (50 mi) S earthquakes near Sherman County
Gilliam County, OR 83 km (52 mi) SSE earthquakes near Gilliam County
Morrow County, OR 103 km (64 mi) SE earthquakes near Morrow County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 0.6 4 km SSW of Ahtanum, Washington
  2. 0.9 22 km SSE of Harrah, Washington
  3. 2.1 12 km SSE of Bickleton, Washington
  4. 1.5 17 km SSE of White Swan, Washington
  5. 3.1 5 km WSW of Harrah, Washington
  6. 1.7 20 km S of White Swan, Washington
  7. 1.7 1 km SSE of Goldendale, Washington
  8. 1.7 8 km N of Roosevelt, Washington
  9. 1.5 17 km NNE of Roosevelt, Washington
  10. 1.5 13 km NNE of Roosevelt, Washington
  11. 2.0 8 km SSE of Bickleton, Washington
  12. 1.5 7 km ESE of Tampico, 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.