Eleven Quakes Rattle Off Oregon Coast on Saturday

Published 06/23/2019 at 4:53 AM PDT
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Coos Bay, Oregon) - Eleven small earthquakes shook off the Oregon coast on Saturday, with the majority in the early morning, but one quake in the early evening. (Graphic courtesy PNSW)

All the early morning shakers happened about 230 miles off the coast in one small area, except for two minor quakes that were a little closer to shore. Another quake in the same area happened about 7:12 p.m., according to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSW).

Scientists say these clusters of quakes are not unusual, but it is also possible these are the precursor to something larger. That is a small chance, however, especially considering the length of time that has passed and no other quake has occurred.

They all happened around the Juan de Fuca plate boundary, where continental shelves meet and one slides under the other. No tsunami warnings were issued.

The largest quakes happened in the early morning hours between 5:40 a.m. and 6:40 a.m. The first was a magnitude 5.0 at 5:43 a.m., which is capable of causing damage at that size. However, it and the other larger quakes were too far out to shore.

That quake was reported to be felt by three people, according to the PNSW.

Then two somewhat larger quakes happened at 5:52 a.m. and 6 a.m. at a magnitude 5.4. There were four reports of those being felt.

Another 4.2 happened at 6:16 a.m. and a 4.7 at 6:40 a.m. Almost simultaneously another happened in a different area much closer to shore – a 2.9 quake 139 miles west of Newport, on the central Oregon coast.

Back in the same area, there was a magnitude 3.2 at 7:14 a.m., and another 4.6 at 7:26 a.m. That one received four reports of it being felt as well. Yet another happened at 9:18 a.m., a magnitude 4.6 less than 100 miles from Coos Bay.

These offshore quakes come from a network of faults that run parallel to the Oregon coast, stretching some 600 miles long along the western U.S., called the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

The region experiences about 20 or more quakes and clusters of quakes per year. Oregon, Coast Earthquake Updates - Live Data Oregon, Washington, California, Tsunamis

More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....

 

LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net
All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted

Oregon Coast Lodging
Rentals
Specials

Dining

Events Calendar

Oregon Coast Weather

Travel News

Search for Oregon Coast Subjects, Articles

Virtual Tours, Maps
Deep Details