QuakeIndex

explosion · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8ml

Earthquake near Venersborg, WA

No earthquake was likely felt in Venersborg in the 24 hours to 4:10 pm PST (00:10 UTC). The last one was M 1.6, 5 km (3 mi) NW, at 4:25 pm PDT on 19 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Venersborg

No: USGS classifies this as a explosion, not an earthquake. A magnitude 1.8 explosion was recorded 4 km (2 mi) east-northeast of Venersborg, WA, at 2:26 pm PDT on 4 September 2024 (21:26 UTC), less than 1 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 3 km ENE of Venersborg, Washington

35 km (22 mi) NE of Portland, OR · 24 km (15 mi) NE of Vancouver, WA

2:26 pm PDT, Sep 4, 2024 · · -0.5 km deep · released about 13 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Clark County 8 kmMultnomah County 27 kmSkamania County 42 kmCowlitz County 50 kmColumbia County 57 kmWashington County 61 kmHood River County 65 kmClackamas County 72 kmLewis County 88 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
2:26 pm PDT on 4 September 2024 ()
Where
4 km (2 mi) east-northeast of Venersborg, WA · earthquakes near Venersborg
Magnitude
M 1.8 (ml)
Depth
-0.5 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Clark County, 8 km WSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 798 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 13 km (8 mi) from the epicentre. In Venersborg, 4 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: Yacolt, Hockinson, Lewisville, Battle Ground, Amboy, Meadow Glade.

USGS catalogues this as explosion, not an earthquake.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 13 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 1,100,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 810,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 72× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.8 about 13 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 15 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 5.7 38 km NNE of Amboy, Washington · 49 km NNE of this epicentre
  2. 5.2 5 km E of Bridgeton, Oregon · 27 km SW of this epicentre
  3. 5.2 37 km NNE of Amboy, Washington · 48 km NNE of this epicentre
  4. 5.1 28 km ENE of Amboy, Washington · 33 km NE of this epicentre
  5. 5.1 38 km NNE of Amboy, Washington · 49 km NNE 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 45.7917, -122.3840. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Clark County, WA 8 km (5 mi) WSW earthquakes near Clark County
Multnomah County, OR 27 km (17 mi) S earthquakes near Multnomah County
Skamania County, WA 42 km (26 mi) NE earthquakes near Skamania County
Cowlitz County, WA 50 km (31 mi) NNW earthquakes near Cowlitz County
Columbia County, OR 57 km (35 mi) WNW earthquakes near Columbia County
Washington County, OR 61 km (38 mi) WSW earthquakes near Washington County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.5 32 km N of Amboy, Washington
  2. 1.6 32 km N of Amboy, Washington
  3. 1.7 3 km NW of Venersborg, Washington
  4. 1.5 4 km WNW of Camas, Washington
  5. 1.6 4 km SSW of Amboy, Washington
  6. 1.7 37 km NNE 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. 2.1 18 km N of Amboy, Washington
  11. 1.9 2 km WNW of Saint Helens, Oregon
  12. 2.0 37 km NNE of Amboy, Washington
  13. 1.6 10 km NNW of Carson, Washington
  14. 1.6 5 km NNE of Venersborg, Washington
  15. 2.2 23 km NNW of Carson, 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.