After a busy week to wrap up 2020, another small earthquake strikes near Whatcom
A small earthquake rattled just south of Whatcom County Sunday evening, as a string of recent seismic activity in the region continued into 2021.
The quake was initially measured as 2.5-magnitude, according to a U.S. Geological Survey alert, but was downgraded to 1.9, according to the USGS webpage on the event. It struck at 6:51 p.m. Jan. 3.
The epicenter was located approximately 4.2 miles west of Mount Vernon, according to the USGS, and approximately 10.4 miles southeast of Anacortes. It was located just south of Highway 20 near the Skagit Regional airport, approximately 20 miles south of downtown Bellingham, according to GoogleMaps.
Measurements by the USGS showed the quake being located approximately 13 miles beneath the surface
No damage was reported, and nobody had reported feeling the quake on the USGS’ “Did You Feel It?” web page as of Monday moring.
The quake comes approximately a week after three quakes shook northwest Washington Dec. 27-28 and after three others were recorded in the area near Carnation Dec. 28-29. Last Tuesday, another small earthquake rattled beneath Whatcom County near Racehorse Creek.
Quakes of less than magnitude 3.0 are common, and tens of thousands are reported worldwide every year, according to the USGS.
A quake of magnitude 1.0 to 3.0 is not felt except by a very few under especially favorable conditions, according to the USGS.
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