Seismicity in West Virginia and the Region

Did you feel an earthquake? ♦ Latest Earthquakes ♦ Map of Earthquake Epicenters ♦ View Signals for Local Seismic Stations ♦ USGS Info for WV ♦ Recent Significant Earthquakes in Our Region ♦ Neighboring States' Seismic Information

Did you feel an earthquake?

Did you just feel some kind of ground movement? A shaking, jolt, or swaying motion? Report it to the United States Geological Survey for investigation here. In each case, they will record your input. If it's large enough or if a number of people report the same event, the USGS will examine local seismic records to determine a location and magnitude.

Earthquakes and tectonic plate boundaries

See where recent earthquakes are located relative to tectonic plate boundaries here from the USGS.

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Latest Local Earthquakes (click image for more detail)

	Tuesday, December 7, 2021 - 5:06 AM (EST), Union, WV NEW! Magnitude: 1.86 Md Hypocentral Depth: 1.86 Magnitude - 1.5 km (0.9 miles), +/- 5.5 km error USGS Event ID: 1.86 Mag. se60139853 Did You Feel It?: Contact USGS here, 1.86 Mag.https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/se60139853/tellus (Fill out a short form) Further Information (as of 12/9/2021): 1.86 mag. - USGS Event Page Download: WVGES Document as seen on the left, (PDF, 1.53 MB)
	Monday, September 27, 2021 - 9:37 AM (EDT), Lafayette, VA NEW! Magnitude: 2.6 Md Hypocentral Depth: 2.6 Magnitude - 12.4 km (7.7 miles), +/- 1.0 km error USGS Event ID: 2.6 Mag. se60135043 Did You Feel It?: Contact USGS here, 2.6 Mag.https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/se60135043/tellus (Fill out a short form) Further Information (as of 9/28/2021): 2.6 mag. - USGS Event Page Download: WVGES Document as seen on the left, (PDF, 1.74 MB)
	Wednesday, July 14, 2021 - 8:55 PM (EDT), Narrows, VA NEW! Magnitude: 2.8 Md Hypocentral Depth: 2.8 Magnitude - 20.4 km (12.7 miles), +/- 1.5 km error USGS Event ID: 2.8 Mag. se60349277 Did You Feel It?: Contact USGS here, 2.8 Mag.https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/se60349277/tellus (Fill out a short form) Further Information (as of 7/15/2021): 2.8 mag. - USGS Event Page Download: WVGES Document as seen on the left, (PDF, 1.44 MB)
	Friday, May 21, 2021, Athalia, OH - 12:53 AM (EDT) NEW! Magnitude: 2.5 Md Hypocentral Depth: 2.5 Magnitude - 19.4 km (12.1 miles), +/- 2.1 km error USGS Event ID: 2.5 Mag. se60128123 Did You Feel It?: Contact USGS here, https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/se60128123/tellus (Fill out a short form) Further Information (as of 5/21/2020): 2.5 mag. - USGS Event Page Download: WVGES Document as seen on the left, (PDF, 1.61 MB)
	Thursday, February 11, 2021 - 10:54 PM (EST), Richlands, VA NEW! Magnitude: 2.58 Md Hypocentral Depth: 2.58 Magnitude - 13.5 km (8.4 miles), +/- 3.0 km error USGS Event ID: 2.58 Mag. se60122223 Did You Feel It?: Contact USGS here, 2.58 Mag.https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/se60122223/tellus (Fill out a short form) Further Information (as of 2/12/2021): 2.58 mag. - USGS Event Page Download: WVGES Document as seen on the left, (PDF, 851 KB)
	Thursday, February 11, 2021 - 7:47 PM (EST) and 7:54 PM (EST), Richlands, VA NEW! Magnitude: 2.35 Md and 2.13 Md Hypocentral Depth: 2.35 Magnitude - 0.0 km (0.0 miles), +/- 3.8 km error; 2.13 Magnitude - 0.0 km (0.0 miles), +/-0 7.1 km error USGS Event ID: 2.35 Mag. se60324577; 2.13 Mag. se60122323 Did You Feel It?: Contact USGS here, 2.35 Mag.https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/se60324577/tellus or 2.13 Mag.https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/se60122323/tellus (Fill out a short form) Further Information (as of 2/15/2021): 2.35 mag. - USGS Event Page and 2.13 mag. - USGS Event Page Download: WVGES Document as seen on the left, (PDF, 3.31 MB)
	Saturday, January 16, 2021 - 12:49 AM (EST), Deerfield, VA NEW! Magnitude: 2.32 Md Hypocentral Depth: 2.32 Magnitude - 2.1 km (1.3 miles), +/- 3.9 km error USGS Event ID: 2.32 Mag. se60116828 Did You Feel It?: Contact USGS here, 2.32 Mag.https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/se60120323/tellus (Fill out a short form) Further Information (as of 1/18/2021): 2.32 mag. - USGS Event Page Download: WVGES Document as seen on the left, (PDF, 1.46 MB)

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Latest Notable Earthquakes Worldwide (click image for more detail)

	Saturday, June 4, 2022, Macquarie Island, Antarctica - 9:17 AM (EDT) NEW! Magnitude: 6.4 Mww Hypocentral Depth: 6.4 Magnitude - 10.0 km (6.2 miles), +/- 1.7 km error USGS Event ID: 6.4 Mag. us7000hexr Further Information (as of 6/8/2022): 6.4 mag. - USGS Event Page Download: WVGES Document as seen on the left, (PDF 880 KB)
	Saturday, June 4, 2022, Rat Islands, Alaska - 7:38 PM (EDT) NEW! Magnitude: 6.3 Mww Hypocentral Depth: 6.3 Magnitude - 105.0 km (65.2 miles), +/- 1.8 km error USGS Event ID: 6.3 Mag. us7000hf1u Further Information (as of 6/8/2022): 6.3 mag. - USGS Event Page Download: WVGES Document as seen on the left, (PDF 1.56 MB)
	Tuesday, June 7, 2022, Tarauaca, Brazil - 8:55 PM (EDT) NEW! Magnitude: 6.5 Mww Hypocentral Depth: 6.5 Magnitude - 621.9 km (386.4 miles), +/- 2.9 km error USGS Event ID: 6.5 Mag. us7000hfrj Further Information (as of 6/8/2022): 6.5 mag. - USGS Event Page Download: WVGES Document as seen on the left, (PDF 743 KB)
	Thursday, June 30, 2022, Namuac, Philippines - 2:40 PM (EDT) NEW! Magnitude: 6.0 Mww Hypocentral Depth: 6.0 Magnitude - 35.4 km (22.0 miles), +/- 3.9 km error USGS Event ID: 6.0 Mag. us6000hywe Further Information (as of 7/1/2022): 6.0 mag. - USGS Event Page Download: WVGES Document as seen on the left, (PDF 584 KB)

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Map of Earthquake Epicenters of West Virginia: 1824 through 2021 (Data as of 12/10/2021)

image of the map of Earthquake Epicenters of West Virginia

Download this map.

Updated!
Earthquake epicenter data were compiled from several regional "catalogs". These catalogs consist of seismic event information that have been reviewed by seismologists. Unless otherwise noted, earthquake catalogs do not contain readings from "blast" or other related mining activity.

Earthquake records are divided into two types: "historic" ones which were felt or recorded without sophisticated seismic equipment and "instrumental" ones that have data derived from networks of sophisticated equipment.

Download the PDF map on the left (or below). It is an interactive PDF! In a current version of Adobe Reader, you can turn on/off the map layers — see what you want; print what you want!

Downloads:

File	Type & Size	Info
WV_Earthquake_Epicenters_1824_2021_20220314.pdf	PDF, 3.14 MB	The map plus 3 pages of basice earthquake listings and information.
West_Virginia_Earthquake_Catalog_2022.xlsx	XLSX, 112 KB	The detailed Microsoft Excel workbook that was used to create the map. It has more information than what is included with the map.
Earthquake_Map_2022.gdb.zip	Zipped GDB, 844 KB	Spatial file: File geodatabase of our Earthquake catalog
Earthquake_Map_Ancillary_Data.gdb.zip	Zipped GDB, 1.23 MB	Spatial File: Auxillary geodatabase of features used in the map.
Earthquake_Map_Layer_Files.zip	Zipped LYR, 8 KB	Spatial File: Layer files to symbolize the earthquake events.
WV_Earthquake_Map_Spatial_Files.zip	ZIP, 2.07 MB	Spatial Files: Zipped file of all of the spatial files (file geodatabases).
Earthquake_Map_2022_Metadata.zip	Zipped HTML and XML, 108 KB	Metadata (HTML or XML) for the earthquake Events List and Seismic Stations List

Interactive Online Map:

Interactive online map application via new geologic map, coming soon!
Access REST feature services to use in your GIS software:
- WV Earthquake Instrumental and Historic Epicenters, Seismic Station Locations: https://atlas2.wvgs.wvnet.edu/server/rest/services/Geology/West_Virginia_Earthquakes_and_Seismicity/MapServer

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View Signals for West Virginia Seismic Stations

MCWV Plot Data:

WVGES has an official USGS seismic station with two seismometers on site. Like radio stations with call letters, ours is "MCWV" which is "Mont Chateau West Virginia". Information about the MCWV Station can be found here. As of May 2015, the majority of seismic stations that were part of the Transportable Array Program sponsored by IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology) have moved out of West Virginia. Five seismic stations of the original fourteen have been made part of the Central and Eastern United States Network (CEUSN) operated by the Scripps Institute of Oceanography at the University of California - San Diego. They remain in place and all are currently operational.

View current seismic reading "snapshots" from the links below! Explanation of the signal trace on a seismogram.

♦ Latest report from our seismic station MCWV via USGS here. (USGS Website)

♦ View detailed information for the other five Seismic Stations located across West Virginia here.

♦ Current and recent seismic helicorder plots via the Virginia Tech Seismic Observatory (VTSO) here
.

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Information from USGS Concerning Earthquakes in West Virginia and Region

♦ USGS: West Virginia, Earthquake History: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/west_virginia/history.php
♦ USGS: West Virginia, Earthquake Information: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/index.php?regionID=48

Also, see these studies:

Earthquakes in Virginia and Vicinity 1774 - 2004, Arthur C. Tarr and Russell L. Wheeler; (OF 2006-1017)
Earthquakes In and Near the Northeastern United States, 1638 - 1998, Russell L. Wheeler, Nathan K. Trevor, Arthur C. Tarr, and Anthony J. Crone; (I-2737)

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Recent Significant Earthquakes in Our Region

icon of the shape of Ohio Ohio:
December 31, 2011, Magnitude 4.0 - Youngstown-Warren Urban Area, Ohio:
♦ From USGS: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/2011/usc0007f7s/

Virginia:
August 23, 2011, Magnitude 5.8 - Mineral-Lewis, Virginia:
♦ Compiled by WVGES: VA Quake
♦ From USGS: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/2011/se082311a/
♦ From USGS; View and download USGS Summary Poster: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/poster/2011/20110823b.php
♦ From Virginia DMME: https://www.dmme.virginia.gov/DGMR/earthquake2011.shtml

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Neighboring States' Seismic Information

Kentucky
Earthquakes and Other Geologic Hazards, (Kentucky Geological Survey).

icon of the shape of Maryland

Maryland
Earthquakes and Maryland, (Maryland Geological Survey).
Maryland Seismic Network, (Maryland Geological Survey).

icon of the shape of Ohio

Ohio
The Ohio Seismic Network, (Ohio DNR, Division of Geological Survey).

icon of the shape of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania
Earthquakes in Pennsylvania, (Pennsylvania Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey).

icon of the shape of Virginia

Virginia
Earthquakes, (Virginia DMME, Virginia DMME Division of Geology and Mineral Resources).
Information on the August 23, 2011 1:51 pm; 5.8 Magnitude Earthquake

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