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United States · Washington

M0.4 Earthquake near Pierce County, Washington (United States)

UTC time: 2026-08-21 19:36:00 UTC Local time: —

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About this earthquake

A magnitude M0.4 earthquake was recorded near Pierce County, Washington (United States) on August 21, 2026 at 19:36 UTC. With a focal depth of about 8 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this small magnitude are usually barely noticeable and cause no damage.

The event was recorded by USGS. United States: 165 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M3.3.

Details

ID
476468795989d92a5f3000ef5a28a02a38cf5ec3
Magnitude
M0.4
Depth
8.0 km
UTC time
2026-08-21 19:36:00 UTC
Local time
—
Country
United States
State
Washington
City
Pierce County
County
Pierce County
Source
usgs
Coordinates
46.85400, -121.93217
Temperature
26.8°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 8 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 8 km
Shallow
8 km
8 km — shallower than the regional average (15.3 km)
Regional average: 15.3 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Volcanoes nearby

  • Rainier
    Distance: 13 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 4'392 m ·Last eruption: 1450 ·United States
  • St. Helens
    Distance: 75 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'549 m ·Last eruption: 2008 ·United States
  • Adams
    Distance: 80 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 3'742 m ·Last eruption: 950 ·United States
  • Indian Heaven
    Distance: 103 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 1'806 m ·Last eruption: -6250 ·United States
  • West Crater
    Distance: 109 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 1'329 m ·Last eruption: -5750 ·United States
  • Glacier Peak
    Distance: 153 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 3'213 m ·Last eruption: 1700 ·United States

Washington

Context for this earthquake

07 Sep 2025 – 07 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 2.0 · 84 Catalogue entries

Sufficiently reliable matching data are not currently available for a direct comparison. The area profile shows the available records and their limitations.

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Historic earthquake map · United States

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