QuakeIndex

explosion · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.7md

Earthquake near Moscow, ID

No earthquake was likely felt in Moscow in the 24 hours to 3:10 pm PDT (22:10 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 9 km (6 mi) WNW, at 12:55 pm PDT on 10 September 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near Moscow

No: USGS classifies this as a explosion, not an earthquake. A magnitude 1.7 explosion was recorded 13 km (8 mi) east-southeast of Moscow, ID, at 12:30 pm PDT on 5 October 2026 (19:30 UTC), less than 1 km deep.

USGS: 7 km SW of Troy, Idaho

12:30 pm PDT, Oct 5, 2026 · · -0.8 km deep · released about 9.6 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Latah County 16 kmNez Perce County 41 kmWhitman County 58 kmBenewah County 60 kmLewis County 60 kmGarfield County 61 kmAsotin County 64 kmClearwater 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
12:30 pm PDT on 5 October 2026 ()
Where
13 km (8 mi) east-southeast of Moscow, ID · earthquakes near Moscow
Idaho today
every earthquake in Idaho in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 1.7 (md)
Depth
-0.8 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Latah County, 16 km NNE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 20 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 12 km (7 mi) from the epicentre. In Moscow, 13 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: Pullman, Palouse.

USGS catalogues this as explosion, not an earthquake.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 9.6 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,600,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,100,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 99× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.7 about 9.6 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 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 46.6955, -116.8443. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Latah County, ID 16 km (10 mi) NNE earthquakes near Latah County
Nez Perce County, ID 41 km (25 mi) S earthquakes near Nez Perce County
Whitman County, WA 58 km (36 mi) WNW earthquakes near Whitman County
Benewah County, ID 60 km (37 mi) NNE earthquakes near Benewah County
Lewis County, ID 60 km (38 mi) SSE earthquakes near Lewis County
Garfield County, WA 61 km (38 mi) WSW earthquakes near Garfield County

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

Aftershocks so far

1 earthquake has been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 1.1 8 km WSW of Peck, 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.