QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9ml

Earthquake near Seattle, WA

No earthquake was likely felt in Seattle in the 24 hours to 12:24 am PST (08:24 UTC). The last one was M 4.2, 37 km (23 mi) SW, at 2:05 pm PDT on 29 September 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 9,329 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Seattle

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 43 km (27 mi) southwest of Seattle, WA, at 7:32 pm PST on 1 January 2021 (03:32 UTC), 53 km deep.

USGS: 0 km N of Vaughn, Washington

43 km (27 mi) SW of Seattle, WA · 25 km (16 mi) WNW of Tacoma, WA

7:32 pm PST, Jan 1, 2021 · · 53 km deep · released about 21 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Seattle Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Mason County 31 kmKitsap County 34 kmThurston County 46 kmPierce County 57 kmKing County 72 kmJefferson County 77 kmGrays Harbor County 84 kmLewis County 90 kmIsland County 91 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
7:32 pm PST on 1 January 2021 ()
Where
43 km (27 mi) southwest of Seattle, WA · earthquakes near Seattle
Magnitude
M 1.9 (ml)
Depth
53 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Mason County, 31 km W
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 2141 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 Seattle, 43 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: Key Center, Allyn, Home, Rosedale, Wauna, Purdy.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 21 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 710,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 500,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 45× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 21 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

The largest earthquake within 50 km since 2016 was M 4.1 on 2017-02-23 — about 1,900 times the energy of this one.

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 · 22 km S of this epicentre
  2. 6.7 4 km WNW of Roy, Washington · 39 km SSE of this epicentre
  3. 6.7 1 km ENE of Dash Point, Washington · 27 km E of this epicentre
  4. 6.1 Puget Sound region, Washington · 6 km N of this epicentre
  5. 5.8 Puget Sound area, Washington · 13 km SW 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 47.3468, -122.7635. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Mason County, WA 31 km (19 mi) W earthquakes near Mason County
Kitsap County, WA 34 km (21 mi) NNE earthquakes near Kitsap County
Thurston County, WA 46 km (29 mi) S earthquakes near Thurston County
Pierce County, WA 57 km (35 mi) SE earthquakes near Pierce County
King County, WA 72 km (45 mi) ENE earthquakes near King County
Jefferson County, WA 77 km (48 mi) NW earthquakes near Jefferson County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.9 4 km NE of Home, Washington
  2. 1.9 2 km NE of Keyport, Washington
  3. 1.6 1 km S of Enetai, Washington
  4. 2.1 0 km S of Skokomish, Washington
  5. 2.0 3 km WSW of Home, Washington
  6. 1.7 2 km ENE of Bainbridge Island, Washington
  7. 1.9 2 km NW of Indianola, Washington
  8. 1.6 3 km SSW of Bethel, Washington
  9. 1.8 4 km N of Belfair, Washington
  10. 1.7 1 km ESE of Enetai, Washington
  11. 1.5 1 km ENE of Bainbridge Island, Washington
  12. 2.3 0 km E of Enetai, Washington
  13. 2.3 0 km SSW of Boulevard Park, Washington
  14. 1.7 1 km SW of East Port Orchard, Washington
  15. 1.5 1 km N of Boulevard Park, 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.