The coasts of Oregon, Washington State and California are being watched by scientists these days, due to what is known as the Cascadia Secondary Fault.

WHAT WAS THE MASSIVE BOOM HEARD ON THE OREGON COAST ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON?

The Cascadia Secondary Fault is a massive series of cracks in the ocean floor 80 to 100 miles offshore, stretching a few hundred miles. It last caused a tsunami over 200 years ago, but scientists say activity is picking up. It could happen in 20 to 50 years or more. An “event” in this area could create a loud sound. The sub-fault makes the San Andreas fault in California look like a paper cut.

However, the massive boom heard by residents of Newport, OR on Tuesday afternoon was not that. As reported by the Newport Police Department, this was a supersonic detonation.

OREGON NATIONAL GUARD Apologizes to Coast Residents

The 142nd Oregon Air National Guard Wing issued an apology which was gathered by the Newport PD. They were conducting training exercises over the ocean, and one of their pilots briefly went supersonic, or exceeded the speed of sound.

IT HAS NOT BEEN LONG BUT MADE A LOT OF NOISE

The jet was moving pretty fast, and a loud boom like this over the ocean will be heard for tens of kilometers. Sources say the pilot was “carrying mail” when he blew up the barrier.

Apparently, it scared coastal residents enough that the PD and Air National Guard issued a public apology via social media, to calm people’s nerves. The reason an offshore earthquake is scary for these people is that it would (probably) create some kind of tsunami which could be dangerous.

So the Oregon coast is safe … for now. Now back to looking at the sub-fault.

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