Sizable Magnitude 6.0 Quake Off Oregon Coast, Aftershocks Possible

Published 10/30/24 at 6:15 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Bandon, Oregon) – A magnitude 6.0 quake hit off the southern Oregon coast at 1:15 p.m. today, according to the United State Geological Survey (USGS). No damage was reported and no tsunami was generated, although the sheer size has spooked many. (Graphic USGS)

It generally requires a 7.0 or higher to generate a tsunami.

While one of the largest offshore quakes here in almost ten years, scientists say it's just par for the course when it comes to quakes off this region.

It was centered about 173 miles NW west of Bandon, and slightly more directly west of Coos Bay. The underwater shaker was some six miles below the surface, which is extremely common.

This one was felt by quite a few, according to the USGS reports. As of 4 p.m., the number of those reporting they felt the quake was near 90, and within a half hour had increased above that figure. Many people reported in from California and even Portland on this, as well as cities such as Lincoln City, Newport, Glendale, Astoria, Rockaway Beach, Seaside, Cannon Beach, Brookings, Ashland, Medford and as far away as Utah.

The USGS said there could be at least one small aftershock from this one, but it would measure under a magnitude 4, more likely as small as 3.0.

Just two weeks ago, a 5.0 quake hit in the same area, and scientists back then said there could be aftershocks from that event.

Bandon - courtesy Circles in the Sand

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.

Although a larger quake than usual off the Oregon coast, scientists say this is generally normal for what is known as the Blanco Fracture Zone, an area of fault lines and weak spots that is geologically quite active. It is not directly connected to the Cascadia Subduction Zone, but it is a reminder that the big one will hit one day.

See Oregon, Coast Earthquake Updates - Live Data Oregon, Washington, California, Tsunamis

It does not mean the area is releasing pressure, either.

According to Tom Horning, a geologist in Seaside, there's a lot of interaction between parts of the the Earth just beneath the offshore parts of Oregon's coastline.

“Other sides of the plate are where the smaller quakes are occurring with regularity,” Horning said. “However, these other parts of the plate boundary are having quakes regularly because of local geologic conditions that favor frequent events. Their locked interfaces stand vertically and are locked for only a few miles underground. It is easy for the plate movements to overwhelm these smaller locked zones, so frequent small quakes take place.”

It was the third largest in ten years. Another at 6.3 hit the area in 2019, which was shallower than normal at only 3.3 miles deep.

The map above shows how many quakes were in the region in recent weeks and months.

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MORE PHOTOS BELOW

Above: Bandon, courtesy Manuela Durson Fine Arts

Below: photos of underwater vents offshore from Oregon (courtesy Hatfield Marine Science Center)

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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