M2.2 Earthquake 4 km SSW of West Richland, Washington — January 24, 2023
2023-01-24 22:03:46 UTC (2023-01-24) · approx. 2:03 PM UTC-8 local
Felt by 13 people across nearby locations.
On January 24, 2023 at 22:03 UTC, a magnitude 2.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 4 km SSW of West Richland, Washington, at a depth of -0.3 km and coordinates 46.2690°, -119.3903°. This earthquake was detected by 17 seismic stations with moderate location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 78, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 2.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 29.1 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 20 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Washington, a region characterized by the Cascadia Subduction Zone, where the Juan de Fuca Plate subducts beneath North America and is capable of producing M9+ megathrust earthquakes. The nearest mapped fault system is the Cascadia Subduction Zone. View all earthquakes in Washington.
Learn more: Cascadia Subduction Zone · Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 13 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
-119.3903°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 2.2 earthquake near West Richland, Washington?
The magnitude 2.2 earthquake that struck 4 km SSW of West Richland, Washington on January 24, 2023 at 22:03 UTC had a depth of -0.3 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 46.2690°, -119.3903°, which is 4 km SSW of West Richland, Washington. View all earthquakes in Washington.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 2.2 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Has Washington had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Washington was the M7.4 offshore earthquake of April 13, 1949. Today's magnitude 2.2 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: uw61903576). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, January 24, 2023). M2.2 Earthquake 4 km SSW of West Richland, Washington — January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/uw61903576/