Magnitude 3.9 earthquake strikes Olympic Peninsula, weak shaking reported in Seattle

A magnitude 3.9 earthquake struck the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, according to seismologists. Weak shaking was reported in Seattle.

The earthquake struck on Wednesday at 4:18 p.m. local time, with its epicenter located in Olympic National Park, 8.6 miles southwest of Blyn and about 40 miles southwest of Seattle. It had a preliminary depth of 26 miles, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

According to the USGS ShakeMap, weak to light shaking may have been felt in Seattle and surrounding areas, with reports submitted to the site indicating very weak shaking as far as Renton and Issaquah. Weak shaking was also reported in Victoria, Canada.

The earthquake follows a series of separate seismic events in the region, most notably a magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck Orcas Island near the Washington-Canada border on Monday. That earthquake was widely felt in areas between Seattle and Vancouver, though no significant impacts were reported.

Two other earthquakes struck the region between February 21 and 22. The first, a magnitude 4.8 earthquake, had its epicenter in Canada, just a few miles northwest of Vancouver. A day later, a magnitude 3.4 earthquake struck the Seattle-Tacoma region but was only felt locally.

The U.S. West Coast lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin, making it highly prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The Ring of Fire is one of the most geologically active areas in the world.