SEATTLE — A preliminary magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck the Puget Sound region Tuesday afternoon, according to initial seismic reports.
The quake was recorded at 2:05 p.m. near the epicenter and was centered about 3.4 miles west-northwest of Wauna, Washington, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
This occurred at a depth of approximately 26 kilometers or 16 miles.
The preliminary location was about 8.3 miles north-northwest of Artondale, almost 10 miles south-southwest of Port Orchard and about 12 miles south-southwest of Bremerton.
It was also about 27 miles north-northeast of Olympia.
The reports did not immediately provide information on injuries or damage, but there were no reported tsunami threats.
Sound Transit reported that Line 1 trains will share a track at Angle Lake station until further notice due to seismic activity.
Sound Transit also asked riders to board all trains on the Federal Way Downtown platform.
PREVIOUS | EARTHQUAKES IN WASHINGTON STATE
Some people felt weak shaking in the Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia and Bremerton areas, according to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN).
The ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system automatically detected the quake and (correctly) deemed it too small to trigger alerts via cell phones, PNSN reported.
Less than half an hour after the earthquake, thousands of people submitted Did You Feel It? reports to the US Geological Survey, PNSN said.
What does an earthquake look like?
A large nearby earthquake will look like a sudden, large shake followed quickly by strong shaking that can last from a few seconds to a few minutes, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
If you felt this earthquake, submit a report here.
“The tremors will be violent and it will be difficult to get up,” the USGS said on its website. “The contents of your house will be messy.”
If you’re far from a large earthquake, the USGS said the sensation will be more like a slight bump, then a stronger, rolling shake. The shaking may also be sharp for a short while.
If you’re near the epicenter of a small earthquake, the USGS said it will look like a smaller tremor, followed by a few larger tremors that pass quickly.
The USGS said that if you’re far from a small earthquake, you probably won’t feel it.
Does the ground below you affect the feeling of the earthquake?
The short answer is yes.
The type of material and structure of the crust can impact how you feel, the USGS said.
Gn usa
