Small Earthquake Detected Under Cottage Lake

WOODINVILLE, WA - A small earthquake was detected in the Cottage Lake area last Thursday, according to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network.

The magnitude 1.4 quake happened Thursday morning around 8 a.m. at a depth of about 21 kilometers. The quake happened underneath Northeast 165th Street just west of Avondale Road Southeast, according to PNSN.

Fortunately, the quake was so small that it's unlikely anyone felt it - and it was certainly too small to cause any damage. However, this Cottage Lake quake is considered "shallow," and shallow quakes are, in general, more likely to cause damage. By comparison, the 2001 Nisqually quake was also considered shallow at a depth of about 54 kilometers.

In general, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, it's hard for humans to feel quakes less than a magnitude 3. There have been a number of small quakes under the Puget Sound area in recent weeks, including two under Elliott Bay in Seattle.

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