The location of this earthquake is very near the location of the 1949 magnitude 7.1 earthquake. The February 28, 2001 event occurred on a normal fault within the down-going Juan de Fuca plate. The earthquake name "Nisqually" is derived from a prominent delta in South Puget Sound. The area northeast of the delta (along Puget Sound) is known as Nisqually Landing. The delta is protected as part of the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. (Text by USGS)
Epicenter of the Nisqually Earthquake
It wasn't planned that way, but as it happens, the GeoMap slices right through the Nisqually earthquake epicenter. Measure about 32 miles down from sea level on the GeoMap to reach the Juan de Fuca oceanic crustal plate; this is the location confirmed by geologists as the earthquake's source.
GeoMap section © 2002 by Cynthia Shaw