M2.7 Earthquake 4 km ENE of Government Camp, Oregon — January 17, 2021
2021-01-17 23:38:31 UTC (2021-01-17) · approx. 3:38 PM UTC-8 local
Felt by 26 people across nearby locations.
On January 17, 2021 at 23:38 UTC, a magnitude 2.7 shallow crustal earthquake struck 4 km ENE of Government Camp, Oregon, at a depth of 5.6 km and coordinates 45.3205°, -121.6998°. This earthquake was detected by 21 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 125, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 2.7 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 175 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 45 m — 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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 26 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
Earthquake Details
-121.6998°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 2.7 earthquake near Government Camp, Oregon?
The magnitude 2.7 earthquake that struck 4 km ENE of Government Camp, Oregon on January 17, 2021 at 23:38 UTC had a depth of 5.6 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 45.3205°, -121.6998°, which is 4 km ENE of Government Camp, Oregon. View all earthquakes in Oregon.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 2.7 earthquakes can continue for several days 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 2.7 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: uw61699362). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, January 17, 2021). M2.7 Earthquake 4 km ENE of Government Camp, Oregon — January 17, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/uw61699362/