QuakeIndex

explosion · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.6ml

Earthquake near Central Point, OR

No earthquake was likely felt in Central Point in the 24 hours to 12:45 pm PST (20:45 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 10 km (6 mi) ESE, at 4:47 pm PDT on 13 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Central Point

No: USGS classifies this as a explosion, not an earthquake. A magnitude 1.6 explosion was recorded 6 km (4 mi) west of Central Point, OR, at 10:04 am PST on 9 December 2025 (18:04 UTC), less than 1 km deep.

USGS: 6 km W of Central Point, Oregon

12 km (7 mi) WNW of Medford, OR

10:04 am PST, Dec 9, 2025 · · -1.1 km deep · released about 6.4 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Jackson County 26 kmJosephine County 48 kmSiskiyou County 95 kmCurry County 101 kmDouglas County 103 kmDel Norte County 107 kmKlamath County 116 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
10:04 am PST on 9 December 2025 ()
Where
6 km (4 mi) west of Central Point, OR · earthquakes near Central Point
Magnitude
M 1.6 (ml)
Depth
-1.1 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Jackson County, 26 km E
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 335 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 11 km (7 mi) from the epicentre. In Central Point, 6 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: Jacksonville, Gold Hill, Medford, White City, Rogue River, Phoenix.

USGS catalogues this as explosion, not an earthquake.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 6.4 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.5 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 2,400,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,700,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 150× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.6 about 6.4 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 42.3697, -122.9912. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Jackson County, OR 26 km (16 mi) E earthquakes near Jackson County
Josephine County, OR 48 km (30 mi) W earthquakes near Josephine County
Siskiyou County, CA 95 km (59 mi) SSE earthquakes near Siskiyou County
Curry County, OR 101 km (63 mi) W earthquakes near Curry County
Douglas County, OR 103 km (64 mi) N earthquakes near Douglas County
Del Norte County, CA 107 km (66 mi) SW earthquakes near Del Norte County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.8 4 km SE of Eagle Point, Oregon
  2. 2.3 5 km ENE of Medford, Oregon
  3. 0.9 15 km NE of Wimer, Oregon
  4. 1.9 6 km NE of Medford, Oregon
  5. 1.6 8 km WSW of Phoenix, Oregon
  6. 2.0 19 km SSW of Ashland, Oregon
  7. 1.8 7 km SSE of White City, Oregon
  8. 1.5 7 km SSE of Jacksonville, 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.