QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1ml

Earthquake near Des Moines, WA

No earthquake was likely felt in Des Moines in the 24 hours to 4:00 am PST (12:00 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 2.1 earthquake was recorded in Des Moines, WA, at 1:13 am PDT on 15 May 2017 (08:13 UTC), 21 km deep. 9 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 0 km NNW of Des Moines, Washington

23 km (15 mi) S of Seattle, WA · 8 km (5 mi) S of Burien, WA

1:13 am PDT, May 15, 2017 · · 21 km deep · released about 44 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Des Moines Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Kitsap County 35 kmKing County 38 kmPierce County 42 kmMason County 64 kmThurston County 65 kmSnohomish County 83 kmIsland County 87 kmLewis County 92 kmJefferson County 100 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
1:13 am PDT on 15 May 2017 ()
Where
in Des Moines, WA · earthquakes near Des Moines
Magnitude
M 2.1 (ml)
Depth
21 km below the surface
Felt
9 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Kitsap County, 35 km NW
Nearest mapped fault
Tacoma fault, 8 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 3387 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. 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: Normandy Park, SeaTac, Burien, Kent, Riverton, Tukwila.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 44 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 340,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 240,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 22× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 44 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 · 42 km SW of this epicentre
  2. 6.7 4 km WNW of Roy, Washington · 48 km SSW of this epicentre
  3. 6.7 1 km ENE of Dash Point, Washington · 11 km SSW of this epicentre
  4. 6.1 Puget Sound region, Washington · 32 km W of this epicentre
  5. 5.8 Puget Sound area, Washington · 45 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 47.4085, -122.3305. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Kitsap County, WA 35 km (22 mi) NW earthquakes near Kitsap County
King County, WA 38 km (24 mi) ENE earthquakes near King County
Pierce County, WA 42 km (26 mi) SSE earthquakes near Pierce County
Mason County, WA 64 km (40 mi) W earthquakes near Mason County
Thurston County, WA 65 km (40 mi) SW earthquakes near Thurston County
Snohomish County, WA 83 km (52 mi) NNE earthquakes near Snohomish County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 3 km SW of Bethel, Washington
  2. 2.2 4 km SE of Orting, Washington
  3. 1.5 1 km N of Carnation, Washington
  4. 2.4 4 km W of Burley, Washington
  5. 1.6 2 km SW of Suquamish, Washington
  6. 2.0 Puget Sound region, Washington
  7. 1.6 3 km WNW of Vashon, Washington
  8. 1.6 0 km SSW of Beaux Arts Village, Washington
  9. 1.5 1 km NE of Enetai, Washington
  10. 1.8 4 km WSW of Inglewood-Finn Hill, Washington
  11. 1.6 8 km ESE of Enumclaw, Washington
  12. 1.5 2 km ENE of Union Hill-Novelty Hill, Washington
  13. 1.6 1 km NE of Yarrow Point, Washington
  14. 2.0 5 km WSW of Chico, Washington
  15. 1.8 8 km NE of Bainbridge Island, 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.