Earthquake shakes Kitsap Peninsula; study reveals new tsunami potential
Sep 5, 2013, 6:39 AM | Updated: 7:00 am
"If you have a lock zone that is far off shore, like a current off Japan in 2011, you have a big tsunami but you don't have much land damage," said University of Washington geophysicist Paul Johnson.
A small earthquake shook the Kitsap Peninsula a little after midnight on Thursday.
The U.S. Geological Survey says the 3.1 magnitude quake happened about a mile northeast of Indianola, near Kingston and was a little over 12 miles deep.
There have been no reports of damage or injuries.
The earthquake comes on the heels of a recent, surprising discovery. Scientists say the “stickiest” part of the Cascadia Subduction Zone is farther out in the Pacific than originally believed.
“If you have a lock zone that is far off shore, like a current off Japan in 2011, you have a big tsunami but you don’t have much land damage,” University of Washington geophysicist Paul Johnson told KGW.
Researchers are still going over data from a month-long research cruise.
The discovery could have major implications for coastal communities.
KIRO Radio’s Val Stouffer contributed to this report.
