A powerful earthquake struck the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of the United States, in one of the most geologically active and closely monitored areas on the planet. The magnitude 5.8 quake was detected by seismographs at the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology and affected the marine area off the coast of Oregon.
The earthquake struck at 12:53 PM Italian time, or 4:53 AM on the northwest coast of the United States. According to data compiled by experts, the epicenter was located approximately 9 kilometers below the seabed.
Along these geological structures, lateral sliding movements of rock masses occur, which frequently trigger shallow earthquakes like the one recorded in the last few hours.
The shallow depth of the earthquake, only 9 kilometers below the seabed, confirms its superficial nature and explains why it was clearly detected by seismic monitoring instruments.
The precedent for the great earthquake of 1700
Researchers point out that the entire region is part of the Cascadia subduction zone, a gigantic geological structure almost a thousand kilometers long, considered one of the most dangerous in the world.
