QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.6ml

Earthquake near Rosedale, WA

Yes. A magnitude 1.6 earthquake was recorded 3 km (2 mi) NE of Rosedale, WA, at 10:36 pm PDT on 31 October 2016 (05:36 UTC), 29 km deep.

This was on 31 October 2016. The latest near Rosedale: M 4.2 on 29 September 2026.

USGS: 2 km NE of Rosedale, Washington

37 km (23 mi) SW of Seattle, WA · 17 km (10 mi) NW of Tacoma, WA

10:36 pm PDT, Oct 31, 2016 · · 29 km deep · released about 7.1 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Kitsap County 32 kmMason County 41 kmThurston County 48 kmPierce County 49 kmKing County 62 kmJefferson County 84 kmLewis County 88 kmIsland County 90 kmGrays Harbor County 94 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
10:36 pm PDT on 31 October 2016 ()
Where
3 km (2 mi) NE of Rosedale, WA · earthquakes near Rosedale
Magnitude
M 1.6 (ml)
Depth
29 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Kitsap County, 32 km N
Nearest mapped fault
Tacoma fault, under 1 km from its surface trace — near is not the same as on
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3633 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth it was probably too small to be felt, even directly above it. In Rosedale, 3 km away, the estimate is intensity I (not felt). 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: Wauna, Canterwood, Purdy, Gig Harbor, Artondale, Burley.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 7.1 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 2,100,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,500,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 130× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.6 about 7.1 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 6 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.8 The 2001 Nisqually, Washington Earthquake · 24 km SSW of this epicentre
  2. 6.7 4 km WNW of Roy, Washington · 37 km S of this epicentre
  3. 6.7 1 km ENE of Dash Point, Washington · 17 km E of this epicentre
  4. 6.1 Puget Sound region, Washington · 11 km WNW of this epicentre
  5. 5.8 Puget Sound area, Washington · 22 km WSW 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 47.3502, -122.6310. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Kitsap County, WA 32 km (20 mi) N earthquakes near Kitsap County
Mason County, WA 41 km (25 mi) W earthquakes near Mason County
Thurston County, WA 48 km (30 mi) SSW earthquakes near Thurston County
Pierce County, WA 49 km (30 mi) SE earthquakes near Pierce County
King County, WA 62 km (39 mi) ENE earthquakes near King County
Jefferson County, WA 84 km (52 mi) NW earthquakes near Jefferson County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.0 1 km SE of Enetai, Washington
  2. 1.5 1 km W of Seattle, Washington
  3. 1.7 2 km ESE of Enetai, Washington
  4. 1.6 0 km NNE of Enetai, Washington
  5. 2.5 1 km NE of Enetai, Washington
  6. 2.2 Puget Sound region, Washington
  7. 1.7 0 km S of Enetai, Washington
  8. 2.1 0 km NNW of Des Moines, Washington
  9. 1.6 3 km SW of Bainbridge Island, Washington
  10. 1.5 0 km SW of Bainbridge Island, Washington
  11. 2.6 2 km ENE of Enetai, Washington
  12. 2.1 1 km NE of Enetai, Washington
  13. 1.5 2 km ENE of Enetai, Washington
  14. 3.5 1 km ENE of Enetai, Washington
  15. 1.5 2 km NE of Enetai, 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.