From USGS recent quakes-5.0 quake 87 miles WSW of Gold Beach, OR 12:14pm

[fed-up]

I just happened to check the recent earthquakes page for California as my dog was going nuts this evening (not because of the quake which I found was earlier today) and noticed the large blue half-square at the top left of the page...for the 5.0 quake which occured a little after noon today (Sat). There was another quake of 4.6 at close to 6pm near Petrolia, CA.

I didn't feel either of them and have found no news stories yet, so I am assuming there was no damage or injuries, but did think I should post this after the earlier story on the Hayward Fault...

http://quake.usgs.gov/recenteqs/latest.htm

this page catches both quakes:
http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/recenteqs/Maps/125-41.htm

http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/recenteqs/Quakes/usksbt.htm
== PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE REPORT ==
U.S. Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center
Version #7: This report supersedes any earlier reports of this event.
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.

A moderate earthquake occurred at 12:14:06 PM (PST) on Saturday, March 25, 2006.
The magnitude 5.0 event occurred 140 km (87 miles) WSW of Gold Beach, OR.
The hypocentral depth is 10 km ( 6 miles).

Magnitude 5.0 - body magnitude (Mb)
Time Saturday, March 25, 2006 at 12:14:06 PM (PST)
Saturday, March 25, 2006 at 20:14:06 (UTC)
Distance from Gold Beach, OR - 140 km (87 miles) WSW (249 degrees)
Brookings, OR - 142 km (88 miles) W (265 degrees)
Harbor, OR - 144 km (90 miles) W (266 degrees)
Crescent City, CA - 150 km (93 miles) W (278 degrees)
Coordinates 41 deg. 56.3 min. N (41.939N), 125 deg. 59.7 min. W (125.995W)
Depth 10 km (6.2 miles)
Location Quality Poor
Location Quality Parameters Nst= 95, Nph= 95, Dmin=149.6 km, Rmss=1.39 sec, Erho=9.3 km, Erzz=0 km, Gp=169.2 degrees
Event ID# usksbt
Additional Information map with fault names
Topo map centered at earthquake (This link takes you offsite)



smaller quake, different location
http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/recenteqs/Quakes/nc51169417.htm

Version #3: This report supersedes any earlier reports of this event.
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.

A light earthquake occurred at 5:56:38 PM (PST) on Saturday, March 25, 2006.
The magnitude 4.6 event occurred 10 km (6 miles) SW of Petrolia, CA.
The hypocentral depth is 22 km (14 miles).

Magnitude 4.6 - regional moment magnitude (Mw)
Time Saturday, March 25, 2006 at 5:56:38 PM (PST)
Sunday, March 26, 2006 at 1:56:38 (UTC)
Distance from Petrolia, CA - 10 km (6 miles) SW (236 degrees)
Rio Dell, CA - 35 km (22 miles) SW (224 degrees)
Ferndale, CA - 36 km (22 miles) SSW (197 degrees)
Eureka, CA - 61 km (38 miles) SSW (198 degrees)
Sacramento, CA - 315 km (196 miles) NW (308 degrees)
Coordinates 40 deg. 16.4 min. N (40.273N), 124 deg. 23.2 min. W (124.387W)
Depth 21.9 km (13.6 miles)
Location Quality Fair
Location Quality Parameters Nst=190, Nph=190, Dmin=20 km, Rmss=0.09 sec, Erho=0.8 km, Erzz=0.4 km, Gp=219.6 degrees
Event ID# nc51169417

[cliss]

1. That's not too far out in the Pacific, fed-up.

Hopefully, it won't cause any damage. On a related note, I read a while back that there is some seismic activity going on, just to the west of Port Orford on the Oregon Coast. It seems that there is a lava dome building on the sea bed. I forget how fast it's growing, but I think I read about 5 feet per day (?).

If that's true, then we should be ready for anything. I'm going to look over my emergency kit this weekend.

Thanks for the tip.

[Ediacara]

2. There have been a number of small quakes ocurring off the coast of Oregon

in the past week or so. Since these earthquakes are in such close spatiotemporal proximity, I imagine they're probably related. There was a fairly large quake there last summer (7.0 IIRC), so it's not unheard of.

[mike_c]

3. hmmm-- I didn't feel it....

I'm near Eureka, about 40 miles away. No hint here, animals all behaved normally.

on edit-- whoops, I was talking about the 4.6 event off Petrolia. I don't see the other one. Oh, never mind, there it is offshore.

[FightingIrish]

4. This map shows that there was another magnitude 5,0 quake

at the same location Friday night.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/Maps/US10/37.47.-130.-120.php

That seems very unusual. Hopefully it is not a precursor of the subduction zone quake that occurs every 300 years, the last one having occurred about 300 years ago.

[XemaSab]

5. It's a totally different fault system in both of these quakes

than the Hayward fault.

Probably totally unrelated.

[fed-up]

6. Having grown up 1/2 mile from San Andreas I know they are dif faults-I

posted the quakes as I have seen interest in quakes/stories here on DU.

[goclark]

7. Real interest for this LA girl nt

[Media_Lies_Daily]

8. IMHO, I don't think any of those faults are "unrelated"....

...when one shifts, it creates shifting pressure gradients along each of the nearby faults.

In summary, earthquakes don't happen in a vacuum.

[XemaSab]

10. They're along two different plate boundaries

and one is a subduction zone while the other one is strike/slip.

IMHO.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

9. There appears to be a clustering of activity off the Oregon and...

...northern California coastline.

Map of Activity
<http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Maps/10/235_40.php>

List of Activity
<http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_all.php>