Oct. 1, 2000 - Sept. 30, 2001
Non-technical Summary
The Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network ( PNSN) operates seismograph stations in Washington and Oregon, and collects and analyzes earthquake data. Between Oct. 1, 2000 and Sept. 30, 2001 the PNSN analyzed 6,263 events. Of these, 5,133 were earthquakes or blasts within the network (2,099 of which were too small to locate). Within the network area, 2,227 tectonic earthquakes were located west of 120.5 degrees west longitude (including 800 in the general vicinity of Mount St. Helens, which has not had a magmatic eruption since 1986), and 275 east of 120.5 degrees west longitude. The remaining events were blasts within the network (587), regional earthquakes (394), teleseisms (736), low-frequency events (70; probably icequakes, mostly near the summit of Mt. Rainier), and surficial events (5; rockfalls near the summits of Mt. St. Helens and Mt Rainier).
Between Oct. 1, 2000 and Sept. 30, 2001, 23 earthquakes were reported felt in Washington west of the Cascades, ranging in magnitude from 1.1 to 6.8. Thirty-seven earthquakes (magnitudes 0.6 to 3.9) were reported felt east of the Cascades, and just one earthquake (magnitude 1.9) was reported felt in Oregon.
The largest event during the reporting period was the damaging magnitude 6.8 Nisqually earthquake of Feb. 28, 2001.
The Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network (PNSN) operates 159 short-period, broad-band, or strong-motion seismic stations west of 120 degrees west longitude under this agreement, and 38 additional stations under other support. Some stations include up to 7 components. PNSN stations in southern and central Oregon are maintained by the University of Oregon under Cooperative Agreement 01HQAG0012. The PNSN exchanges real-time data with adjacent networks to improve our ability to locate earthquakes on the edge of our network. The PNSN records and assists with the maintenance of several short-period stations operated by the USGS, and receives real-time data from four US National Network (USNSN) stations in Washington and Oregon.
A PNSN seismologist is always available on-call, and our standard procedure is to respond to pager messages from our automatic earthquake detection process (initiated for any earthquake within our network of magnitude 2.9 or larger), or calls from Washington or Oregon emergency management agencies or the UW police. PRELIMINARY information for earthquakes of M>=2.9 is sent out automatically by the event detection process. Emergency managers and other high-priority information users receive very rapid notification through the RACE pager-PC system, faxes and e-mail. Simultaneously, an automatic Web-site is created for the event (see /SEIS/EQ_Special/lasteq.html).
FINAL details are provided as soon as the duty seismologist analyzes the earthquake information. Final locations and magnitudes for earthquakes of M>=2.9 are also disseminated through the NOAA emergency weather notification system.
For all earthquakes, updates of information are posted to Web-pages each time the analyst finalizes a group of locations and magnitudes. In addition to ordinary phone lines, the PNSN has a radio link to the King County and City of Seattle Emergency Operations Centers and an independent direct phone link to the Washington State Dept. of Emergency Services.
The PNSN provides "Recent Earthquakes" web pages using the national "Quake Data Delivery System", "ShakeMap" pages (showing instrumental intensity, PGA, and PGV), and links to the USGS CIIM (Community Internet Intensity Maps) site, which collects, compiles, and interprets web-based felt reports from the public.
The installation of strong-motion instruments has encouraged the formation of research relationships with organizations who are interested in the data collected and the potential for useful data products. These organizations, in turn, provide the PNSN with station sites and/or telemetry. Cooperative efforts will contribute to more robust and diversified network telemetry, additional non-federally funded strong motion seismograph stations, and increased support for critical staff.
Between Oct. 1, 2000 and Sept. 30, 2001, 23 earthquakes were reported felt in Washington west of the Cascades, ranging in magnitude from 1.1 to 6.8. Thirty-seven earthquakes (magnitudes 0.6 to 3.9) were reported felt east of the Cascades, and just one earthquake (magnitude 1.9) was reported felt in Oregon.
By far the most interesting event during the reporting period was the magnitude 6.8 Nisqually earthquake of Feb. 28, 2001. Extensive information is available on the
The Nisqually earthquake was the largest of a unusual series of Benioff zone earthqukes that began in July 1999 with a M 5.8 earthquake about 41 km depth beneath Satsop WA. The Nisqually earthquake, in Feb. 2001, was east of the Satsop earthquake and, at 52 km, deeper. A M 5.0 earthquake on June 10, 2001 was near the location and depth of the 1999 Satsop earthquake, and a M 4.3 earthquake on July 22 (UTC) was close to the location and depth of the Nisqually event.
Other interesting seismicity included a swarm of 61 earthquakes located in the immediate area of downtown Spokane. In addition to the locatable earthquakes, there were many additional events too small to locate due to sparse network coverage of the area. The swarm began in May, and the largest earthquake during the reporting period was a M 3.9 on June 25. No comparable sequence is known in the history of Spokane. For additional details see web page:
____________________________________________________________________________________________ TABLE 1--BENIOFF ZONE EARTHQUAKES - Sizable earthquakes near Satsop, WA plus Nisqually Earthquake and aftershocks. DATE-TIME is in Universal Time (UTC) which is PST + 8 hours. Magnitudes are reported as local magnitude (Ml). QUAL is location quality A-good, D-poor ____________________________________________________________________________________________ DATE-(UTC)-TIME LAT(N) LON(W) DEP MAG QUAL COMMENTS yy/mm/dd hh:mm:ss deg. deg. km Ml 99/07/03 01:43:54 47.07N 123.46W 40.7 5.8 BA 8.0 km N of Satsop, WA 01/02/28 18:54:32 47.14N 122.72W 51.9 6.8 BA MAINSHOCK 17.0 km NE of Olympia, WA 01/02/28 19:02:03 47.18N 122.72W 52.3 1.0 BA Aftershock 19.7 km NE of Olympia, WA 01/03/01 09:10:20 47.19N 122.71W 54.3 3.4 BA Aftershock 21.6 km NE of Olympia, WA 01/03/01 14:23:34 47.18N 122.72W 51.4 2.7 BA Aftershock 19.4 km NE of Olympia, WA 01/03/11 11:57:36 47.20N 122.62W 47.8 1.2 AB 14.9 km WSW of Tacoma, WA 01/06/10 13:19:11 47.16N 123.50W 40.7 5.0 BA 18.3 km N of Satsop, WA 01/07/22 15:13:52 47.08N 122.68W 52.4 4.3 BA Aftershock?16.3 km ENE of Olympia, WA____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________ TABLE 2-- FELT EARTHQUAKES 10/1/00-9/30/01 DATE-TIME is in Universal Time (UTC) which is PST + 8 hours. Magnitudes are reported as local magnitude (Ml). QUAL is location quality A-good, D-poor ____________________________________________________________________________________________ DATE-(UTC)-TIME LAT(N) LON(W) DEP MAG QUAL COMMENTS yy/mm/dd hh:mm:ss deg. deg. km Ml 00/10/15 14:30:05 47.84N 123.03W 50.0 3.6 BA 31.4 km WNW of Poulsbo, WA 00/11/01 08:37:17 48.27N 122.54W 21.8 3.3 BA 21.7 km SW of Mount Vernon, WA 00/11/05 13:10:01 49.47N 119.63W 0.0 3.0 BD 4.7 km SW of Penticton, BC 00/11/10 09:12:39 48.46N 123.23W 25.2 1.5 BB 9.5 km ENE of Victoria, BC 00/11/25 10:01:39 48.83N 119.34W 2.0 3.1 BD 55.2 km NNE of Okanogan, WA 00/12/24 17:04:58 47.74N 120.26W 8.6 3.5 DB 9.8 km NNW of Entiat, WA 00/12/31 18:07:44 47.50N 121.66W 12.6 2.9 BA 8.8 km E of North Bend, WA 01/02/14 03:54:54 48.75N 123.12W 20.9 2.3 BD 26.0 km NNW of Friday Harbor, WA 01/02/14 22:03:58 47.51N 121.89W 6.6 3.1 BA 5.4 km S of Fall City, WA 01/02/24 07:40:50 47.53N 122.06W 22.6 2.2 BA 13.2 km SE of Bellevue, WA 01/02/28 07:16:13 47.75N 120.03W 0.6 3.2 BB 10.2 km S of Chelan, WA 01/02/28 18:54:32 47.14N 122.72W 51.9 6.8 BA 17.0 km NE of Olympia, WA 01/03/01 09:10:20 47.19N 122.71W 54.3 3.4 BA 21.6 km NE of Olympia, WA 01/03/01 14:23:34 47.18N 122.72W 51.4 2.7 BA 19.4 km NE of Olympia, WA 01/03/10 06:26:05 47.48N 122.79W 19.3 1.7 AA 15.9 km SW of Bremerton, WA 01/03/11 17:08:54 47.60N 121.91W 21.6 2.9 BA 4.4 km NNW of Fall City, WA 01/03/16 02:41:11 47.56N 122.07W 18.1 2.2 AA 10.2 km ESE of Bellevue, WA 01/03/21 10:31:05 46.21N 121.02W 0.9 2.9 CC 35.4 km E of Mt Adams, WA 01/04/07 16:02:35 48.72N 124.76W 41.8 3.9 CD 90.6 km NNW of Forks, WA 01/06/10 13:19:11 47.16N 123.50W 40.7 5.0 BA 18.3 km N of Satsop, WA 01/06/25 14:15:22 47.68N 117.39W 10.5 3.9 BD 1.3 km NNE of Spokane, WA 01/06/25 15:01:27 47.70N 117.41W 11.1 3.4 DD 3.4 km N of Spokane, WA 01/06/25 16:49:16 47.73N 117.47W 0.0 2.3 BD 9.0 km NNW of Spokane, WA 01/06/25 22:58:13 47.72N 117.46W 0.0 2.3 DD 7.0 km NW of Spokane, WA 01/06/26 01:21:21 47.75N 117.48W 0.0 2.1 BD 11.4 km NNW of Spokane, WA 01/06/26 05:52:26 47.75N 117.48W 8.0 2.4 DD 10.9 km NW of Spokane, WA 01/06/27 09:07:45 47.72N 117.45W 0.4 2.4 DD 6.8 km NW of Spokane, WA 01/06/27 14:45:37 47.70N 117.41W 7.3 2.9 DD 4.2 km N of Spokane, WA 01/06/28 07:51:42 47.69N 117.43W 0.5 2.1 DC 3.6 km NW of Spokane, WA 01/06/28 11:47:48 47.66N 117.41W 0.2 0.7 BD 1.0 km WSW of Spokane, WA 01/06/29 01:13:27 47.67N 117.41W 0.3 2.3 DD 1.0 km NNW of Spokane, WA 01/06/30 01:23:31 46.85N 121.97W 7.7 3.3 BB 16.2 km W of Mt Rainier, WA 01/07/01 05:44:12 47.67N 117.41W 0.0 2.8 CD 0.4 km W of Spokane, WA 01/07/01 05:45:43 47.66N 117.40W 0.5 2.8 CD 0.3 km SSE of Spokane, WA 01/07/01 06:07:13 47.67N 117.40W 0.0 2.3 CD 0.5 km NW of Spokane, WA 01/07/02 17:48:28 47.67N 117.42W 0.5 0.6 BB 1.5 km WNW of Spokane, WA 01/07/03 21:20:27 47.67N 117.41W 0.0 2.2 BA 0.9 km NW of Spokane, WA 01/07/08 11:16:32 47.68N 117.41W 0.5 1.5 CB 1.7 km NW of Spokane, WA 01/07/16 11:37:35 45.11N 122.51W 13.1 1.9 CB 21.4 km SE of Canby, OR 01/07/22 15:13:52 47.08N 122.68W 52.4 4.3 BA 16.3 km ENE of Olympia, WA 01/07/24 13:31:06 47.49N 122.02W 16.4 2.2 BA 9.3 km N of Maple Valley, WA 01/07/29 06:26:53 47.74N 117.46W 0.6 2.1 BC 8.9 km NNW of Spokane, WA 01/07/29 06:37:58 47.72N 117.45W 6.2 1.3 AD 7.5 km NNW of Spokane, WA 01/07/29 07:04:25 47.73N 117.46W 3.9 1.2 AD 7.9 km NNW of Spokane, WA 01/07/30 20:35:09 47.73N 117.46W 0.6 1.8 BD 8.2 km NNW of Spokane, WA 01/07/31 01:38:11 47.73N 117.45W 0.4 3.2 DC 8.0 km NNW of Spokane, WA 01/07/31 05:07:32 47.73N 117.44W 0.6 2.2 AC 7.4 km NNW of Spokane, WA 01/07/31 05:24:33 47.74N 117.45W 0.5 1.5 CD 9.2 km NNW of Spokane, WA 01/07/31 06:48:11 47.71N 117.47W 0.5 1.8 DD 7.3 km NW of Spokane, WA 01/07/31 08:51:55 47.72N 117.45W 2.1 1.6 CD 7.4 km NNW of Spokane, WA 01/07/31 16:27:43 47.72N 117.45W 0.6 1.8 BC 7.4 km NNW of Spokane, WA 01/08/01 14:29:48 47.71N 117.44W 0.6 2.2 AD 5.9 km NNW of Spokane, WA 01/08/09 13:31:24 47.73N 117.46W 0.5 1.5 BB 8.2 km NW of Spokane, WA 01/08/14 13:28:27 44.28N 125.46W 10.0 1.5 BD 119.1 km WSW of Newport, OR 01/08/19 06:17:32 48.25N 121.61W 1.7 3.0 CC 1.0 km WSW of Darrington, WA 01/08/25 17:52:34 48.23N 121.60W 2.7 2.1 CC 2.1 km S of Darrington, WA 01/08/30 03:47:31 48.23N 121.62W 4.8 2.7 CC 2.9 km SW of Darrington, WA 01/09/28 18:34:53 47.68N 117.38W 1.8 2.8 BC 1.8 km NE of Spokane, WA 01/09/28 18:37:53 47.66N 117.37W 0.3 1.9 CD 2.3 km ESE of Spokane, WA 01/09/28 18:38:37 47.67N 117.40W 0.6 2.6 CC 0.7 km NNW of Spokane, WA 01/09/28 18:41:40 47.67N 117.39W 0.0 1.6 BC 0.6 km NE of Spokane, WA ____________________________________________________________________________________________
Quarterly bulletins from the PNSN provide operational details and descriptions of seismic activity in Washington and Oregon. These are available from 1984 through the third quarter of 2000. PNSN Quarterly Reports from 1994-1998 included moment-tensor focal mechanisms for earthquakes larger than magnitude 3.5 provided by Dr. John Nabelek of Oregon State University (OSU) under support from USGS NEHRP Grant 1434-93-G-2326. Final published catalogs are available from 1970, when the network began operation, though 1989. A 1990-1994 printed catalog is in preparation.
Kirkham, H., S. Malone, and J. Delaney, 2000, The NEPTUNE observatory as seismic early warning system. Joint US-Japan conference on earthquake disaster mitigation, Japan, July 10, 2000
Musumeci, C., S.D. Malone, E. Giampiccolo, and S. Gresta, 2000, Hypocentral distribution, focal mechanisms and the stress field at Mount St. Helens (1995-1998), Annali de Geofisica V. 43, N. 5, p. 889-904.
Musumeci, C, S.D. Malone, and S. Gresta, in press, Magma System Recharge of Mount St. Helens from precise relative hypocenter location of microearthquakes. Jour. Geophys. Res (in press).
Nisqually Earthquake Clearinghouse Group, 2001, Nisqually Earthquake Preliminary Reconnaissance Report, http://www.eeri.org/earthquakes/Reconn/Nisqually_Wa_2001/NisquallyEQrep.PDF, EERI Reconnaissance Report (32 pp.)
PNSN Staff, 2001, Preliminary Report on the Mw=6.8 Nisqually, Washington earthquake of 28 February 2001, 2001, Seis. Res. Lett., V. 72, N. 3, pp. 352-361.
Van Wagoner, T., R.S. Crosson, N.P. Symons, G.F. Medema, K.C. Creager, and L.A. Preston 2001 (in review), High resolution seismic tomography and earthquake relocation n the Puget Lowland, Washington, JGR.
Bakun, W.H. and R.S. Ludwin, 2001 (abstract), Significant Historical Puget Sound Earthquakes, Seismological Society of America 2001 Annual Meeting, Special Session on the Nisqually Earthquake, V. 72, No. 3, p. 392
Bakun, W.H., R.A. Haugerud, M.G. Hopper, and R.S. Ludwin, 2001 (abstract), The December 1872 Washington State Earthquake, Seismological Society of America 2001 Annual Meeting, Seis. Res. Lett. V. 72, No. 2, p. 269
Ludwin, R.S., 2001 (abstract), Searching for Native Stories about Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquakes, Seismological Society of America 2001 Annual Meeting, Seis. Res. Lett. V. 72, No. 2, p. 270
Crosson, R.S., K.C. Creager, S. Malone, G. Thomas, R. Ludwin, A. Qamar, 2001 (abstract), The Magnitude 6.8 Nisqually Earthquake of February 28, 2001: Seismological Aspects, Seismological Society of America 2001 Annual Meeting, Special Session on the Nisqually Earthquake, V. 72, No. 3, p. 394
Frankel, A., D. Carver , S. Malone, G. Thomas, C. Weaver, C. Stephens, R. Porcella, H. Benz, J. Filson, I. Wong, T. Bice, R. Norris, M. Petersen, and S. Harmsen, 2001 (abstract), Overview of strong-motion recordings of the M6.8 Nisqually, Washington, earthquake, Seismological Society of America 2001 Annual Meeting, Special Session on the Nisqually Earthquake, V. 72, No. 3, p. 390
Haugerud, R.A., G. Thomas, and S.P. Palmer, 2001 (abstract), Regional map view of instrumentally-determined ground motions, Nisqually Earthquake of 28 February 2001, Seismological Society of America 2001 Annual Meeting, Special Session on the Nisqually Earthquake
Crosson, R.S., and N.P. Symons, 2001 (abstract), What goes down, comes up: flexural origin of the Puget Basins and tectonic implications, V. 72, No. 2, p. 237
McCrory, P.A., S.R. Walter, and R.S. Crosson, 2001 (abstract), Possible discontinuity in Juan de Fuca plate in the vicinity of the 2001 (M6.8) Nisqually earthquake, Seismological Society of America 2001 Annual Meeting, Special Session on the Nisqually Earthquake, V. 72, No. 3, p. 391
Preston, L.A., K.C. Creager, R.S. Crosson, T.M. Van Wagoner, A.M. Trehu, T.M. Brocher, M.A. FISHER, and SHIPS Working Group , 2001 (abstract), Cascadia slab structure and deep earthquakes, V. 72, No. 2, p. 237
Troost, K.G., R.A. Haugerud, T.J. Walsh, E.L. Harp, D.B. Booth, W.P. Steele, K.W. Wegmann, T.L. Pratt, B.S. Sherrod, and S. L. Kramer, 2001 (abstract), Ground failures produced by the Nisqually earthquake, V. 72, No. 3, p. 396
Xu, Q., K.C. Creager, Q. Li, and R.S. CROSSON, 2001 (abstract), Seismological Society of America 2001 Annual Meeting, Special Session on the Nisqually Earthquake, V. 72, No. 3, p. 394
Jeffrey B. Johnson, Interpretation of infrasound generated by erupting volcanoes and seismo-acoustic energy partitioning during strombolian explosions. PhD Dissertation, University of Washington, 2000
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UW Dept. of Earth and Space Sciences ..... SEISMOLOGY INFO..... PNW EARTHQUAKES