QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.7ml

Earthquake near Salem, OR

No earthquake was likely felt in Salem in the 24 hours to 11:59 pm PST (07:59 UTC). The last one was M 3.2, 18 km (11 mi) NNW, at 7:58 am PST on 23 November 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 228 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Salem

This page: a magnitude 1.7 earthquake was recorded 50 km (31 mi) west-southwest of Salem, OR, at 8:45 pm PST on 13 January 2025 (04:45 UTC), 47 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 13 km N of Summit, Oregon

33 km (21 mi) NW of Corvallis, OR · 115 km (71 mi) SW of Portland, OR

8:45 pm PST, Jan 13, 2025 · · 47 km deep · released about 12 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Polk County 23 kmLincoln County 27 kmBenton County 33 kmYamhill County 59 kmTillamook County 79 kmMarion County 83 kmLinn County 90 kmWashington County 97 kmLane County 108 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
8:45 pm PST on 13 January 2025 ()
Where
50 km (31 mi) west-southwest of Salem, OR · earthquakes near Salem
Magnitude
M 1.7 (ml)
Depth
47 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Polk County, 23 km NE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 617 days ago

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

At this magnitude and depth it was probably too small to be felt, even directly above it. In Salem, 50 km away, the estimate is intensity I (not felt). 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: Siletz, Dallas.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 12 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,200,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 870,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 78× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.7 about 12 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 44.7567, -123.6098. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Polk County, OR 23 km (14 mi) NE earthquakes near Polk County
Lincoln County, OR 27 km (17 mi) WSW earthquakes near Lincoln County
Benton County, OR 33 km (20 mi) SSE earthquakes near Benton County
Yamhill County, OR 59 km (37 mi) NNE earthquakes near Yamhill County
Tillamook County, OR 79 km (49 mi) N earthquakes near Tillamook County
Marion County, OR 83 km (52 mi) ENE earthquakes near Marion County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.8 7 km NNW of Philomath, Oregon
  2. 1.3 3 km ESE of Rose Lodge, Oregon
  3. 1.4 4 km ESE of Rose Lodge, Oregon
  4. 1.4 2 km NNW of Falls City, Oregon
  5. 1.8 2 km ENE of Blodgett, Oregon
  6. 1.9 3 km S of Fort Hill, Oregon
  7. 2.6 3 km SE of Rose Lodge, Oregon
  8. 1.8 4 km ENE of Lincoln Beach, Oregon
  9. 1.6 4 km NE of Falls City, Oregon
  10. 1.9 7 km SE of Toledo, Oregon
  11. 1.5 2 km NW of Sheridan, Oregon
  12. 1.8 8 km W of Falls City, Oregon
  13. 1.6 6 km NNW of Philomath, Oregon
  14. 1.6 5 km W of Dallas, Oregon
  15. 1.7 9 km WSW of Falls City, 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.