Underwater Quake and Aftershocks Off Southern Oregon Coast, Felt As Far As Portland

Published 08/22/2018 at 6:07 PM PDT
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Coos Bay, Oregon) – A sizable underwater quake shook just off the Oregon coast early Wednesday morning, registering as a magnitude 6.2. It happened about 1:30 a.m., some 170 miles west of Coos Bay. (Graphic courtesy USGS).

There was no tsunami threat with the quake, which is larger than many that take place in that section of the Cascadia Subduction zone. It takes an earthquake 7.0 or higher to generate a tsunami.

According to Jana Pursley with the United States Geological Survey (USGS), it was felt on land with what was termed “weak shaking,” meaning no damage was reported and it was not a strong shaker by any means. It was, however, felt as far away as Rockaway Beach, Seaside and even the Portland area.

Pursley said no one reported anything falling off shelves as well.

According to the USGS website, other inland areas that reported in included Veneta, Grants Pass, Falls City, Sutherlin, Sheridan, Cornelius, Beaverton, parts of northern California and numerous reports from Portland.

A series of small aftershocks also rattled in that area off the Oregon coast afterwards, mostly in and around a magnitude 3.1 to 3.5. Two occurred around 3 a.m., with one much farther out to sea. The latest aftershock happened at 2:31 p.m.

These 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.

Measurements of earthquake magnitudes are extremely wide, although the increments may appear small. A 7.0 is 1,000 times bigger than a 4.0, according to the USGS. But it is 31,622 times stronger in its release of energy. Stay up-to-date with Oregon, Coast Earthquake Updates - Live Data Oregon, Washington, California, Tsunamis.

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