M5.7 Earthquake 212 km W of Bandon, Oregon — December 29, 2020
2020-12-29 07:10:29 UTC (2020-12-29) · approx. 11:10 PM UTC-8 local
Felt by 164 people across surrounding communities.
On December 29, 2020 at 07:10 UTC, a magnitude 5.7 shallow crustal earthquake struck 212 km W of Bandon, Oregon, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 43.3890°, -126.9951°. The earthquake was reported felt by 164 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 3.2 (light). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. The nearest populated place is Port Orford (population 1,133).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 5 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 5.2 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Oregon, a region characterized by the southern Cascadia Subduction Zone, with additional seismicity from crustal faults in the Willamette Valley. The nearest mapped fault system is the Cascadia Subduction Zone. View all earthquakes in Oregon.
Learn more: Cascadia Subduction Zone · Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Nearest Populated Places
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 164 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 2,575 |
Earthquake Details
-126.9951°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.7 earthquake near Bandon, Oregon?
The magnitude 5.7 earthquake that struck 212 km W of Bandon, Oregon on December 29, 2020 at 07:10 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. It was felt by 164 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 3.2 (light). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 43.3890°, -126.9951°, which is 212 km W of Bandon, Oregon. The nearest populated place is Port Orford (population 1,133). View all earthquakes in Oregon.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.7 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Has Oregon had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Oregon was the M7.3 offshore Brookings earthquake of November 23, 1873. Today's magnitude 5.7 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000d3xn). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, December 29, 2020). M5.7 Earthquake 212 km W of Bandon, Oregon — December 29, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000d3xn/