QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8ml

Earthquake near Des Moines, WA

No earthquake was likely felt in Des Moines in the 24 hours to 3:48 pm PST (23:48 UTC). The last one was M 4.2, 30 km (19 mi) W, at 2:05 pm PDT on 29 September 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 9,329 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Des Moines

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 6 km (4 mi) southwest of Des Moines, WA, at 7:50 am PST on 10 March 2017 (15:50 UTC), 18 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 6 km SW of Des Moines, Washington

28 km (18 mi) S of Seattle, WA · 7 km (4 mi) NNW of Federal Way, WA

7:50 am PST, Mar 10, 2017 · · 18 km deep · released about 17 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Des Moines Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Kitsap County 36 kmPierce County 39 kmKing County 44 kmThurston County 59 kmMason County 59 kmLewis County 87 kmSnohomish County 90 kmIsland County 91 kmJefferson County 99 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
7:50 am PST on 10 March 2017 ()
Where
6 km (4 mi) southwest of Des Moines, WA · earthquakes near Des Moines
Magnitude
M 1.8 (ml)
Depth
18 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity I
Nearest
Kitsap County, 36 km NNW
Nearest mapped fault
Tacoma fault, 2 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 3535 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 Des Moines, 6 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: Federal Way, Normandy Park, Browns Point, Lakeland North, Vashon, Kent.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 17 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 900,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 640,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 57× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.8 about 17 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 · 35 km SW of this epicentre
  2. 6.7 4 km WNW of Roy, Washington · 42 km SSW of this epicentre
  3. 6.7 1 km ENE of Dash Point, Washington · 5 km SSW of this epicentre
  4. 6.1 Puget Sound region, Washington · 28 km W of this epicentre
  5. 5.8 Puget Sound area, Washington · 40 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 47.3665, -122.3855. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Kitsap County, WA 36 km (23 mi) NNW earthquakes near Kitsap County
Pierce County, WA 39 km (24 mi) SSE earthquakes near Pierce County
King County, WA 44 km (27 mi) ENE earthquakes near King County
Thurston County, WA 59 km (36 mi) SW earthquakes near Thurston County
Mason County, WA 59 km (37 mi) W earthquakes near Mason County
Lewis County, WA 87 km (54 mi) S earthquakes near Lewis County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 0 km NNE of Mercer Island, Washington
  2. 1.8 1 km SSE of Mercer Island, Washington
  3. 1.9 1 km NE of Alderton, Washington
  4. 1.7 10 km NNW of Belfair, Washington
  5. 1.6 5 km N of Seattle, Washington
  6. 1.7 5 km SSE of Suquamish, Washington
  7. 1.9 2 km ENE of Enetai, Washington
  8. 2.0 0 km NNE of Enetai, Washington
  9. 1.6 0 km SW of Enetai, Washington
  10. 1.8 0 km WNW of Enetai, Washington
  11. 1.8 1 km SE of Enetai, Washington
  12. 2.8 1 km ESE of Enetai, Washington
  13. 1.6 0 km SE of Enetai, Washington
  14. 2.0 1 km SE of Enetai, Washington
  15. 1.5 1 km W of Seattle, 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.