QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 3.2ml

Earthquake near Shelton, WA

No earthquake was likely felt in Shelton in the 24 hours to 7:22 am PST (15:22 UTC). The last one was M 4.2, 35 km (22 mi) NE, at 2:05 pm PDT on 29 September 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 9,329 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Shelton

This page: a magnitude 3.2 earthquake was recorded 15 km (9 mi) north-northwest of Shelton, WA, at 6:04 pm PDT on 21 June 2021 (01:04 UTC), 44 km deep. 59 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 3 km W of Skokomish, Washington

72 km (45 mi) WSW of Seattle, WA · 40 km (25 mi) NW of Olympia, WA

6:04 pm PDT, Jun 21, 2021 · · 44 km deep · released about 1,700 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Shelton Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Mason County 3 kmThurston County 52 kmGrays Harbor County 53 kmKitsap County 54 kmJefferson County 58 kmPierce County 86 kmPacific County 97 kmIsland County 100 kmClallam County 101 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
6:04 pm PDT on 21 June 2021 ()
Where
15 km (9 mi) north-northwest of Shelton, WA · earthquakes near Shelton
Magnitude
M 3.2 (ml)
Depth
44 km below the surface
Felt
59 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Measured shaking
intensity III (ShakeMap)
Nearest
Mason County, 3 km NE
Nearest mapped fault
Olympia structure, 5 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 1904 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 9 km (6 mi) from the epicentre. In Shelton, 15 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: Allyn.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 1,700 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 4.2 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 200,000× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 8,800× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 6,200× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 3.2 about 1,700 lb of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 1.8× more

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 24 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 · 42 km ESE of this epicentre
  2. 6.1 Puget Sound region, Washington · 35 km ENE of this epicentre
  3. 5.8 Puget Sound area, Washington · 24 km ESE of this epicentre
  4. 5.8 8 km N of Satsop, Washington · 35 km SW of this epicentre
  5. 5.1 Olympic Peninsula, Washington · 21 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 47.3322, -123.2068. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Mason County, WA 3 km (2 mi) NE earthquakes near Mason County
Thurston County, WA 52 km (33 mi) SSE earthquakes near Thurston County
Grays Harbor County, WA 53 km (33 mi) WSW earthquakes near Grays Harbor County
Kitsap County, WA 54 km (34 mi) NE earthquakes near Kitsap County
Jefferson County, WA 58 km (36 mi) NNW earthquakes near Jefferson County
Pierce County, WA 86 km (53 mi) ESE earthquakes near Pierce County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 3.0 1 km NE of Gorst, Washington
  2. 3.1 Puget Sound region, Washington
  3. 2.1 10 km WNW of Longbranch, Washington
  4. 1.8 Olympic Peninsula, Washington
  5. 1.5 Puget Sound region, Washington
  6. 1.8 4 km S of Seabeck, Washington
  7. 2.1 14 km N of Hoodsport, Washington
  8. 1.7 Puget Sound region, Washington
  9. 2.5 11 km SW of Brinnon, Washington
  10. 2.4 9 km NW of Belfair, Washington
  11. 1.6 12 km ENE of McCleary, Washington
  12. 1.9 2 km NW of Chico, Washington
  13. 2.6 11 km WNW of Hoodsport, Washington
  14. 1.6 3 km W of Belfair, Washington
  15. 1.6 3 km NW of Wauna, 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.