Nearly 60 earthquakes have struck off the Oregon coast, but no tsunami is expected
More than 50 earthquakes have struck off the Oregon coast since Tuesday morning, with the two largest reaching a magnitude 5.8.
No tsunami is expected, and scientists say that while the number is unusual, it is not worrisome. None have been felt on land.
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The swarm of earthquakes are not along the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which has the potential to cause a 9.0-plus magnitude earthquake and up to a 100-foot high tsunami.
Instead, they are occurring about 250 miles off of Newport on the Blanco Fracture Zone, one of the most seismically active areas in North America.
The Blanco Fracture Zone is a strike-slip boundary, meaning tectonic plates are sliding along one another.
In that Cascadia Subduction Zone, one plate is sliding beneath another, creating the potential for more powerful earthquakes.
Scientists predict there is about a 37% chance of a 7.1-plus magnitude earthquake in the Cascadia Subduction Zone in the next 50 years.
Tracy Loew is a reporter at the Statesman Journal. She can be reached at tloew@statesmanjournal.com, 503-399-6779 or on Twitter at @Tracy_Loew. Support local journalism by subscribing to the Statesman Journal.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Nearly 60 earthquakes strike off Oregon coast; no tsunami expected
