QuakeIndex

explosion · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.2ml

Earthquake near Eugene, OR

No earthquake was likely felt in Eugene in the 24 hours to 6:10 am PST (14:10 UTC). The last one was M 1.8, 7 km (4 mi) ESE, at 10:54 am PDT on 25 August 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Eugene

No: USGS classifies this as a explosion, not an earthquake. A magnitude 2.2 explosion was recorded 27 km (17 mi) southeast of Eugene, OR, at 1:58 pm PDT on 17 March 2020 (20:58 UTC), less than 1 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: Oregon

30 km (18 mi) SE of Eugene, OR · 21 km (13 mi) SE of Springfield, OR

1:58 pm PDT, Mar 17, 2020 · · -0.7 km deep · released about 58 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lane County 7 kmLinn County 69 kmDouglas County 74 kmBenton County 82 kmMarion County 113 kmLincoln County 120 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
1:58 pm PDT on 17 March 2020 ()
Where
27 km (17 mi) southeast of Eugene, OR · earthquakes near Eugene
Magnitude
M 2.2 (ml)
Depth
-0.7 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Lane County, 7 km WNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2431 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 Eugene, 27 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: Lowell, Creswell, Culp Creek, Cottage Grove, Springfield.

USGS catalogues this as explosion, not an earthquake.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 58 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 5.8 260,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 180,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 16× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.2 about 58 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 43.9032, -122.8147. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lane County, OR 7 km (4 mi) WNW earthquakes near Lane County
Linn County, OR 69 km (43 mi) NNE earthquakes near Linn County
Douglas County, OR 74 km (46 mi) SSW earthquakes near Douglas County
Benton County, OR 82 km (51 mi) NW earthquakes near Benton County
Marion County, OR 113 km (70 mi) N earthquakes near Marion County
Lincoln County, OR 120 km (74 mi) NW earthquakes near Lincoln County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.8 1 km ESE of Springfield, Oregon
  2. 1.6 9 km SSW of Cottage Grove, Oregon
  3. 1.7 14 km NE of Springfield, Oregon
  4. 1.6 9 km SSE of Crawfordsville, Oregon
  5. 1.6 22 km N of Unity, Oregon
  6. 1.7 1 km S of Drain, Oregon
  7. 1.7 13 km S of Culp Creek, Oregon
  8. 1.7 9 km SSW of Holley, Oregon
  9. 1.5 7 km SSW of Cottage Grove, Oregon
  10. 1.5 13 km WNW of Cottage Grove, Oregon
  11. 1.8 12 km SSW of Holley, Oregon
  12. 1.8 18 km ENE of Unity, Oregon
  13. 2.0 19 km ENE of Unity, Oregon
  14. 1.7 5 km E of Yoncalla, Oregon
  15. 1.6 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.