The Nisqually Earthquake, February 28, 2001

The location of this earthquake is very near the location of the 1949 magnitude 7.1 earthquake. The February 28, 2001 event occurred on a normal fault within the down-going Juan de Fuca plate. The earthquake name "Nisqually" is derived from a prominent delta in South Puget Sound. The area northeast of the delta (along Puget Sound) is known as Nisqually Landing. The delta is protected as part of the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge.   (Text by USGS)

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Epicenter of the Nisqually Earthquake

It wasn't planned that way, but the GeoMap slice through Puget Sound just happens to intersect the location of the Nisqually earthquake epicenter! If one measures about 32 miles down from sea level on the GeoMap, one reaches the Juan de Fuca oceanic crustal plate, the location confirmed by geologists as the earthquake's source. 

GeoMap section © 1998 by Cynthia Shaw

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Map Source: University of Washington

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