QuakeIndex

explosion · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.2ml

Earthquake near Eagle Point, OR

No earthquake was likely felt in Eagle Point in the 24 hours to 2:34 am PST (10:34 UTC). The last one was M 1.8, 5 km (3 mi) SE, at 1:04 pm PDT on 20 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Eagle Point

No: USGS classifies this as a explosion, not an earthquake. A magnitude 2.2 explosion was recorded 5 km (3 mi) south-southeast of Eagle Point, OR, at 2:15 pm PST on 17 December 2019 (22:15 UTC), less than 1 km deep.

USGS: 5 km SSE of Eagle Point, Oregon

12 km (8 mi) NNE of Medford, OR

2:15 pm PST, Dec 17, 2019 · · -1.3 km deep · released about 54 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Jackson County 8 kmJosephine County 66 kmSiskiyou County 96 kmKlamath County 96 kmDouglas County 100 kmCurry County 118 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction and later quakes as coloured dots. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
2:15 pm PST on 17 December 2019 ()
Where
5 km (3 mi) south-southeast of Eagle Point, OR · earthquakes near Eagle Point
Magnitude
M 2.2 (ml)
Depth
-1.3 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Jackson County, 8 km ESE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2519 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 18 km (11 mi) from the epicentre. In Eagle Point, 5 km away, the estimate is intensity II (weak). Estimated from magnitude, depth and distance with the intensity equation USGS Did You Feel It? uses; felt reports, where there are any, are the measurement.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: White City, Central Point, Medford, Phoenix, Shady Cove, Talent.

USGS catalogues this as explosion, not an earthquake.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 54 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.2 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 280,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 200,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 18× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.2 about 54 lb of TNT

Energy from the Gutenberg–Richter relation (log10E = 1.5M + 4.8), rounded to two figures; bar length is magnitude, which is already a logarithm of energy. Magnitudes of past earthquakes from the USGS catalogue.

For this area

No earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded within 50 km since our catalogue begins in 2016.

Before 2016, the USGS record since 1900 lists no earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km.

Since 2016: the QuakeIndex catalogue (US, M1.5+), built from the USGS FDSN event service. Before 2016: USGS ComCat, M5+ from 1900. Distances are between epicentres. This is the record, not a forecast.

Where

Epicentre 42.4295, -122.7725. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Jackson County, OR 8 km (5 mi) ESE earthquakes near Jackson County
Josephine County, OR 66 km (41 mi) W earthquakes near Josephine County
Siskiyou County, CA 96 km (59 mi) SSE earthquakes near Siskiyou County
Klamath County, OR 96 km (60 mi) ENE earthquakes near Klamath County
Douglas County, OR 100 km (62 mi) NNW earthquakes near Douglas County
Curry County, OR 118 km (73 mi) W earthquakes near Curry County

Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.

Aftershocks so far

57 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 1.9 5 km SE of Eagle Point, Oregon
  2. 1.5 22 km E of Ashland, Oregon
  3. 1.5 6 km W of Central Point, Oregon
  4. 1.9 17 km SW of Ashland, Oregon
  5. 1.8 6 km NNW of Eagle Point, Oregon
  6. 1.8 6 km SE of White City, Oregon
  7. 1.9 8 km E of Ashland, Oregon
  8. 1.6 7 km NNW of Eagle Point, Oregon
  9. 1.5 15 km SE of Ashland, Oregon
  10. 1.7 7 km SSE of White City, Oregon
  11. 1.5 5 km ENE of Medford, Oregon
  12. 1.9 6 km NE of Medford, Oregon
  13. 1.8 4 km SSE of Eagle Point, Oregon
  14. 1.7 3 km NE of Medford, Oregon
  15. 1.9 7 km NNW of Eagle Point, Oregon

Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of . QuakeIndex does not forecast aftershocks. When USGS issues an operational aftershock forecast it appears on the USGS event page.

On USGS

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.