Small Earthquake Shakes Washington State

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An earthquake of preliminary magnitude 4.3 struck last night in central Washington, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

The temblor's epicenter was 16 miles (25 km) north of Leavenworth, Wash. It originated 5.7 miles (9.1 km) deep and struck at 7:45 p.m. local time Wednesday (02:45 UTC Thursday), the USGS reports.

Earthquakes of this size tend to be felt by people in the area but typically do not cause significant damage, other than possibly broken windows and falling dishes or the toppling of unstable objects. But the damage caused by any single event depends on the quake's depth, proximity to populated areas, building standards in the region, as well as the type of earthquake. The USGS frequently updates the magnitude of an event after more data is analyzed.

An earthquake's magnitude is a measure of the energy released at the source. It is just one predictor of the shaking that may ensue, which is affected by local and regional geology. Scientists know in a general sense what causes Earthquakes but are unable to predict specific quakes.

This article will be updated if significant additional information becomes available. Find more earthquake news here.

Live Science Staff
Live Science Staff
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