QuakeIndex

explosion · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Sandpoint, ID

No earthquake was likely felt in Sandpoint in the 24 hours to 3:51 pm PST (23:51 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 3 km (2 mi) WSW, at 1:14 pm PDT on 2 September 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 3 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Sandpoint

No: USGS classifies this as a explosion, not an earthquake. A magnitude 2.1 explosion was recorded 12 km (8 mi) west of Sandpoint, ID, at 8:59 am PDT on 23 July 2025 (15:59 UTC), less than 1 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 8 km WNW of Dover, Idaho

87 km (54 mi) NE of Spokane, WA

8:59 am PDT, Jul 23, 2025 · · -1.1 km deep · released about 51 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Bonner County 8 kmPend Oreille County 47 kmBoundary County 56 kmKootenai County 68 kmStevens County 85 kmSpokane County 90 kmLincoln County 97 kmBenewah County 119 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
8:59 am PDT on 23 July 2025 ()
Where
12 km (8 mi) west of Sandpoint, ID · earthquakes near Sandpoint
Idaho today
every earthquake in Idaho in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
-1.1 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Bonner County, 8 km ENE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 475 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 18 km (11 mi) from the epicentre. In Sandpoint, 12 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: Ponderay, Priest River.

USGS catalogues this as explosion, not an earthquake.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 51 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 300,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 210,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 19× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 51 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 48.2893, -116.7167. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Bonner County, ID 8 km (5 mi) ENE earthquakes near Bonner County
Pend Oreille County, WA 47 km (29 mi) NW earthquakes near Pend Oreille County
Boundary County, ID 56 km (35 mi) NNE earthquakes near Boundary County
Kootenai County, ID 68 km (42 mi) S earthquakes near Kootenai County
Stevens County, WA 85 km (53 mi) W earthquakes near Stevens County
Spokane County, WA 90 km (56 mi) SW earthquakes near Spokane 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. 2.3 2 km NE of Dover, Idaho
  2. 2.2 8 km WNW of Dover, Idaho
  3. 1.7 9 km WSW of Newport, Washington
  4. 1.8 6 km SSW of Athol, Idaho
  5. 1.6 13 km NNW of Athol, Idaho
  6. 1.9 6 km NNW of Priest River, Idaho
  7. 2.1 12 km NNW of Kootenai, Idaho
  8. 1.6 11 km NNW of Kootenai, Idaho
  9. 2.1 7 km WSW of Clark Fork, Idaho
  10. 1.6 18 km N of Kootenai, Idaho
  11. 2.2 8 km NW of Ponderay, Idaho
  12. 1.8 13 km SSW of East Hope, Idaho

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.