An underwater earthquake with an initial 5.9 magnitude has struck off the southern Oregon coast.
The U.S. Geological Survey said Thursday morning that no tsunami is expected from the quake, which happened about 180 miles from land at a depth of 7 miles.
There were no reports of damage or injuries.
The larger quake happened around 8 a.m. in the same area where a 6.3-magnitude temblor struck on Aug. 29, less than a week ago.
The larger quake Thursday was preceded by one with an initial 3.8 magnitude.
The earthquakes off the coast of Coos Bay, Oregon are being caused by slipping along an offshore fault that has nothing to do with the more well-known Cascadia fault, which is believed to be overdue for a major Pacific Northwest earthquake.
Just about a week after a M6.3 earthquake hit 171 miles west, northwest of Bandon on Oregon’s south coast at a depth of 3 miles (5.4km), another M5.9 quake was detected today, September 5, 2019 at almost the same location on the Blanco Transform Fault.
The earthquake rattled the ocean floor at off the Oregon Coast at 8:02 a.m., about 177 miles WNW of Bandon, Oregon. At least 16 people reported feeling the quakes on the USGS homepage.
The earthquake was preceded by a 3.7-magnitude earthquake about 32 miles closer to the Oregon coastline detected at 7:25 a.m.
No tsunami is expected on the coastline.
Both of today’s earthquakes follow a 6.3-magnitude earthquake a week ago in the same region.
The earthquakes are located on the Blanco Transform Fault, not the Cascadia Subduction area, according to officials at the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. The transform fault zone runs northeast off the coast of Oregon in the Pacific Northwest of the United States which runs between the Gorda Ridge to the south and the Juan de Fuca Ridge to the north. The latter are linked to the very dangerous and overdue Cascadia Subduction Zone.
So get ready! Such an earthquake could potentially announce and maybe even trigger the Big Earthquake along the Cascadia subduction zone!
No comments:
Post a Comment