QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.6ml

Earthquake near Carson, WA

No earthquake was likely felt in Carson in the 24 hours to 2:04 pm PST (22:04 UTC). The last one was M 1.6, 3 km (2 mi) NW, at 3:08 pm PDT on 25 May 2022, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Carson

This page: a magnitude 1.6 earthquake was recorded 11 km (7 mi) north-northwest of Carson, WA, at 11:39 pm PST on 27 February 2026 (07:39 UTC), 10 km deep.

USGS: 10 km NNW of Carson, Washington

66 km (41 mi) ENE of Portland, OR · 55 km (34 mi) NE of Gresham, OR

11:39 pm PST, Feb 27, 2026 · · 10 km deep · released about 6.6 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Skamania County 24 kmHood River County 38 kmClark County 46 kmMultnomah County 50 kmCowlitz County 75 kmClackamas County 76 kmKlickitat County 86 kmWasco County 91 kmColumbia County 93 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 PST on 27 February 2026 ()
Where
11 km (7 mi) north-northwest of Carson, WA · earthquakes near Carson
Magnitude
M 1.6 (ml)
Depth
10 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Skamania County, 24 km NNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 257 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 4 km (2 mi) from the epicentre. In Carson, 11 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: Stevenson, Cascade Locks.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 6.6 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 2,300,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,600,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 140× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.6 about 6.6 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 7 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 5.7 38 km NNE of Amboy, Washington · 50 km NNW of this epicentre
  2. 5.2 37 km NNE of Amboy, Washington · 50 km NNW of this epicentre
  3. 5.1 28 km ENE of Amboy, Washington · 30 km NW of this epicentre
  4. 5.1 39 km NNE of Amboy, Washington · 50 km NNW of this epicentre
  5. 5.0 39 km NNE of Amboy, Washington · 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 45.8105, -121.8903. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Skamania County, WA 24 km (15 mi) NNW earthquakes near Skamania County
Hood River County, OR 38 km (24 mi) SSE earthquakes near Hood River County
Clark County, WA 46 km (29 mi) W earthquakes near Clark County
Multnomah County, OR 50 km (31 mi) SW earthquakes near Multnomah County
Cowlitz County, WA 75 km (46 mi) NW earthquakes near Cowlitz County
Clackamas County, OR 76 km (47 mi) SSW earthquakes near Clackamas County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 0.1 37 km NNE of Amboy, Washington
  2. 0.7 38 km NNE of Amboy, Washington
  3. 0.1 38 km NNE of Amboy, Washington
  4. 0.1 37 km NNE of Amboy, Washington
  5. 0.1 38 km NNE of Amboy, Washington
  6. 0.1 38 km NNE of Amboy, Washington
  7. 0.1 38 km NNE of Amboy, Washington
  8. -0.2 39 km NE of Amboy, Washington
  9. 1.0 28 km ENE of Yacolt, Washington
  10. 0.5 38 km NNE of Amboy, Washington
  11. 1.8 23 km NE of Amboy, Washington
  12. 0.5 38 km NNE of Amboy, Washington
  13. 1.5 7 km NW of Mount Hood Village, Oregon
  14. 0.3 38 km NNE of Amboy, Washington
  15. 0.2 38 km NNE of Amboy, 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.