An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.5 struck Washington State on Monday morning, as reported by the United States Geological Survey.
The epicenter of the earthquake was situated in the vicinity of the San Juan Islands, close to the Canadian border in the northwest corner of the state.
According to an email from a geophysicist at the Washington Geological Survey, the event was believed to have originated approximately 10 miles deep within the Earth’s crust.
“It did not coincide with any known active fault in the area. Earthquakes of this size and depth occur frequently in the Salish lowland,” said Megan L. Anderson of the Washington Geological Survey, an office of the Washington Department of National Resources.
According to Anderson, it is highly unlikely that any damage or injuries were sustained, as a 4.5-magnitude earthquake typically falls below the threshold (5.5) at which such incidents usually occur.
According to the USGS, there is currently a 43% chance of experiencing an aftershock with a magnitude of 3 or higher in the next week. However, the agency states that the likelihood of experiencing aftershocks with greater magnitudes is much lower.
On Monday morning, Washington experienced an earthquake, following a previous earthquake in Los Angeles the night before with a preliminary magnitude of 3.9. Fortunately, there have been no immediate reports of injuries or damage caused by either quake.
