QuakeIndex

explosion · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8ml

Earthquake near Lincoln Beach, OR

No earthquake was likely felt in Lincoln Beach in the 24 hours to 11:53 pm PST (07:53 UTC). The last one was M 1.8, 5 km (3 mi) ENE, at 10:16 am PDT on 30 April 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Lincoln Beach

No: USGS classifies this as a explosion, not an earthquake. A magnitude 1.8 explosion was recorded 5 km (3 mi) east-northeast of Lincoln Beach, OR, at 10:16 am PDT on 30 April 2026 (17:16 UTC), less than 1 km deep.

USGS: 4 km ENE of Lincoln Beach, Oregon

10:16 am PDT, Apr 30, 2026 · · -0.4 km deep · released about 17 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lincoln County 26 kmPolk County 47 kmBenton County 61 kmYamhill County 68 kmTillamook County 68 kmWashington County 104 kmMarion County 111 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
10:16 am PDT on 30 April 2026 ()
Where
5 km (3 mi) east-northeast of Lincoln Beach, OR · earthquakes near Lincoln Beach
Magnitude
M 1.8 (ml)
Depth
-0.4 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Lincoln County, 26 km SSE
Nearest mapped fault
Cascadia fold and fault belt, 20 km from its surface trace — near is not the same as on
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 197 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 14 km (9 mi) from the epicentre. In Lincoln Beach, 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: Depoe Bay, Lincoln City, Siletz, Rose Lodge, Agate Beach, Newport.

USGS catalogues this as explosion, not an earthquake.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 17 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 900,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 640,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 57× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.8 about 17 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 44.8648, -123.9882. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lincoln County, OR 26 km (16 mi) SSE earthquakes near Lincoln County
Polk County, OR 47 km (29 mi) E earthquakes near Polk County
Benton County, OR 61 km (38 mi) SE earthquakes near Benton County
Yamhill County, OR 68 km (42 mi) NE earthquakes near Yamhill County
Tillamook County, OR 68 km (42 mi) NNE earthquakes near Tillamook County
Washington County, OR 104 km (64 mi) NE earthquakes near Washington County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.3 3 km ESE of Rose Lodge, Oregon
  2. 1.4 4 km ESE of Rose Lodge, Oregon
  3. 1.4 2 km NNW of Falls City, Oregon
  4. 1.8 2 km ENE of Blodgett, Oregon
  5. 1.9 3 km S of Fort Hill, Oregon
  6. 2.6 3 km SE of Rose Lodge, Oregon
  7. 1.5 31 km W of Neskowin, Oregon
  8. 1.7 24 km W of Newport, Oregon
  9. 1.8 22 km WNW of Newport, Oregon
  10. 1.6 9 km NW of Waldport, 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.