QuakeIndex

explosion · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3ml

Earthquake near Bend, OR

No earthquake was likely felt in Bend in the 24 hours to 1:00 pm PST (21:00 UTC). The last one was M 1.9, 9 km (6 mi) NNW, at 1:47 pm PDT on 31 August 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Bend

No: USGS classifies this as a explosion, not an earthquake. A magnitude 2.3 explosion was recorded 4 km (3 mi) north-northwest of Bend, OR, at 12:50 pm PST on 21 November 2024 (20:50 UTC), less than 1 km deep.

USGS: 4 km NNW of Bend, Oregon

in Bend, OR

12:50 pm PST, Nov 21, 2024 · · -1.3 km deep · released about 85 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Deschutes County 22 kmJefferson County 63 kmCrook County 78 kmLinn County 105 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
12:50 pm PST on 21 November 2024 ()
Where
4 km (3 mi) north-northwest of Bend, OR · earthquakes near Bend
Magnitude
M 2.3 (ml)
Depth
-1.3 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Deschutes County, 22 km SSE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 721 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 20 km (12 mi) from the epicentre. In Bend, 4 km away, the estimate is intensity III (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: Deschutes River Woods, Redmond, Sunriver, Sisters.

USGS catalogues this as explosion, not an earthquake.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 85 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.3 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 180,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 130,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 11× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 85 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 44.0912, -121.3413. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Deschutes County, OR 22 km (13 mi) SSE earthquakes near Deschutes County
Jefferson County, OR 63 km (39 mi) NNE earthquakes near Jefferson County
Crook County, OR 78 km (48 mi) E earthquakes near Crook County
Linn County, OR 105 km (65 mi) WNW earthquakes near Linn County
Wasco County, OR 120 km (75 mi) N earthquakes near Wasco County
Wheeler County, OR 127 km (79 mi) NE earthquakes near Wheeler County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 0.5 32 km SW of Sisters, Oregon
  2. 0.8 28 km SW of Sisters, Oregon
  3. 0.4 28 km SW of Sisters, Oregon
  4. 1.9 3 km WSW of Tumalo, Oregon
  5. 2.1 4 km NNW of Bend, Oregon
  6. 1.5 17 km ESE of Sunriver, Oregon
  7. 2.2 4 km ESE of Black Butte Ranch, Oregon
  8. 2.0 6 km SW of Tumalo, Oregon
  9. 2.5 5 km SW of Prineville, Oregon
  10. 1.7 3 km SW of Tumalo, Oregon
  11. 1.7 10 km E of La Pine, Oregon
  12. 2.1 2 km ESE of Tumalo, Oregon
  13. 1.6 2 km SW of Tumalo, Oregon
  14. 1.9 24 km WNW of Sunriver, Oregon
  15. 1.6 24 km WNW of Sunriver, 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.