Series of earthquakes strike off Oregon coast

Associated Press

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A series of earthquakes struck off the Oregon coast Monday but officials say no tsunamis were triggered.

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck at 12:52 a.m. and a 5.5 hit at 4:46 a.m. Monday morning. A third smaller quake measuring magnitude 4.4 hit at 7:46 a.m.

Paul Caruso with the U.S. Geological Survey says the quakes hit a fault west of the Oregon and Washington coast. They were about 330 miles west of Salem and 288 miles from Coos Bay Oregon.

Caruso says they were 6 miles deep, which is relatively shallow. He says the deeper the quake, the less likely people will feel it. The magnitude 7.8 quake that recently struck Japan did little damage because it was 420 miles deep.

Caruso says the quakes were not big enough to trigger tsunamis. He says it usually takes a magnitude 7 for that to happen.