QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.7ml

Earthquake near Molalla, OR

No earthquake was likely felt in Molalla in the 24 hours to 3:40 pm PST (23:40 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 8 km (5 mi) ESE, at 12:47 pm PDT on 1 September 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Molalla

This page: a magnitude 2.7 earthquake was recorded 14 km (9 mi) east-southeast of Molalla, OR, at 11:39 pm PDT on 29 August 2024 (06:39 UTC), 10 km deep. 5 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 14 km ESE of Molalla, Oregon

51 km (32 mi) SSE of Portland, OR · 44 km (27 mi) S of Gresham, OR

11:39 pm PDT, Aug 29, 2024 · · 10 km deep · released about 290 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Clackamas County 17 kmMarion County 27 kmMultnomah County 48 kmLinn County 70 kmYamhill County 73 kmWashington County 73 kmHood River County 73 kmClark County 74 kmPolk County 82 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
11:39 pm PDT on 29 August 2024 ()
Where
14 km (9 mi) east-southeast of Molalla, OR · earthquakes near Molalla
Magnitude
M 2.7 (ml)
Depth
10 km below the surface
Felt
5 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Measured shaking
intensity II (ShakeMap)
Nearest
Clackamas County, 17 km ENE
Nearest mapped fault
Mount Angel fault, 25 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 424 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 22 km (14 mi) from the epicentre. In Molalla, 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: Mulino, Estacada, Beavercreek, Canby.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 290 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 51,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 36,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 3.2× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.7 about 290 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. 5.6 4 km E of Scotts Mills, Oregon · 18 km WSW of this epicentre
  2. 5.0 3 km SW of Portland, Oregon · 49 km NNW 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 45.1117, -122.4027. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Clackamas County, OR 17 km (11 mi) ENE earthquakes near Clackamas County
Marion County, OR 27 km (17 mi) SSW earthquakes near Marion County
Multnomah County, OR 48 km (30 mi) N earthquakes near Multnomah County
Linn County, OR 70 km (44 mi) S earthquakes near Linn County
Yamhill County, OR 73 km (45 mi) WNW earthquakes near Yamhill County
Washington County, OR 73 km (46 mi) NW earthquakes near Washington County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.3 3 km SSW of Tualatin, Oregon
  2. 1.6 3 km SSW of Scotts Mills, Oregon
  3. 1.4 6 km SE of Molalla, Oregon
  4. 1.5 7 km NW of Mount Hood Village, Oregon
  5. 1.6 1 km SW of Mount Angel, Oregon
  6. 1.2 13 km SE of Scotts Mills, Oregon
  7. 2.1 8 km ESE of Molalla, Oregon
  8. 1.6 5 km SSE of Molalla, Oregon
  9. 1.5 9 km ESE of Scotts Mills, Oregon
  10. 1.6 7 km ESE of Molalla, Oregon
  11. 1.7 4 km NNW of Mount Hood Village, Oregon
  12. 2.1 10 km NNE of Sandy, Oregon
  13. 1.7 8 km S of Molalla, Oregon
  14. 1.6 2 km WSW of Stafford, Oregon
  15. 1.8 4 km SSE of Stafford, 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.