QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.0ml

Earthquake near Tacoma, WA

No earthquake was likely felt in Tacoma in the 24 hours to 5:31 am PST (13:31 UTC). The last one was M 4.2, 27 km (17 mi) NW, at 2:05 pm PDT on 29 September 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 9,329 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Tacoma

This page: a magnitude 2.0 earthquake was recorded 5 km (3 mi) north-northwest of Tacoma, WA, at 3:56 am PDT on 3 June 2024 (10:56 UTC), 15 km deep.

USGS: 2 km ESE of Ruston, Washington

in Tacoma, WA

3:56 am PDT, Jun 3, 2024 · · 15 km deep · released about 33 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Pierce County 36 kmKitsap County 41 kmThurston County 48 kmMason County 53 kmKing County 53 kmLewis County 80 kmJefferson County 97 kmIsland County 97 kmSnohomish 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
3:56 am PDT on 3 June 2024 ()
Where
5 km (3 mi) north-northwest of Tacoma, WA · earthquakes near Tacoma
Magnitude
M 2.0 (ml)
Depth
15 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Pierce County, 36 km SE
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 892 days ago

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

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 7 km (4 mi) from the epicentre. In Tacoma, 5 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.

Likely felt in: Tacoma 5 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 33 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.0 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 450,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 320,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 29× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.0 about 33 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 · 25 km SW of this epicentre
  2. 6.7 4 km WNW of Roy, Washington · 32 km SSW of this epicentre
  3. 6.7 1 km ENE of Dash Point, Washington · 6 km NE of this epicentre
  4. 6.1 Puget Sound region, Washington · 24 km WNW of this epicentre
  5. 5.8 Puget Sound area, Washington · 32 km W 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 47.2933, -122.4772. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Pierce County, WA 36 km (23 mi) SE earthquakes near Pierce County
Kitsap County, WA 41 km (25 mi) NNW earthquakes near Kitsap County
Thurston County, WA 48 km (30 mi) SW earthquakes near Thurston County
Mason County, WA 53 km (33 mi) W earthquakes near Mason County
King County, WA 53 km (33 mi) ENE earthquakes near King County
Lewis County, WA 80 km (50 mi) S earthquakes near Lewis 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. 2.8 0 km ENE of Tracyton, Washington
  2. 1.6 1 km SW of Kapowsin, Washington
  3. 1.6 2 km NNW of Enetai, Washington
  4. 2.3 1 km NE of Lakeland North, Washington
  5. 3.4 6 km SSE of Lea Hill, Washington
  6. 1.9 3 km ESE of Fircrest, Washington
  7. 1.6 1 km NE of Enetai, Washington
  8. 1.8 1 km WSW of Kapowsin, Washington
  9. 1.6 8 km SSE of McKenna, Washington
  10. 1.7 3 km ENE of Buckley, Washington
  11. 1.7 2 km N of Enetai, Washington
  12. 1.7 2 km E of Tracyton, Washington
  13. 1.8 7 km SE of McKenna, Washington
  14. 1.7 0 km NNE of Parkland, Washington
  15. 1.6 1 km SW of Burien, 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.