Days after dozens of small earthquakes frayed a few nerves in central Utah, state seismologists are sharing words of comfort and explanation as to what occurred Sunday.
MILLARD COUNTY, Utah — Days after dozens of small earthquakes frayed a few nerves in central Utah, state seismologists are offering words of comfort and explanations for what occurred Sunday.
In a release Tuesday, the Utah Department of Natural Resources, along with the Utah Geological Survey, confirmed that at least 32 earthquakes were recorded in the early hours of Sunday in southern Millard County in what is being called a swarm.
According to officials, a swarm is “a cluster of many small-to-moderate earthquakes that occur in a short window of time without a single dominant event.”
The recent swarm began at approximately 5:45 a.m. near the towns of Kanosh and Fillmore, with the largest being a magnitude 3.6 earthquake that hit at 8:43 a.m.
No injuries or major damage were reported during the series of earthquakes that continued for hours.
While nerves can be shaken as much as the ground during earthquake events, seismologists at the University of Utah said the swarm was “completely normal” and a sign that the planet is “adjusting to pressure in one of North America’s most geologically active regions.”
In addition, the location of Sunday’s swarm was predictable as it sits in an area known as the Intermountain Seismic Belt along “the spine” of Utah, as well as on the eastern side of the Black Rock Desert volcanic field. Despite the location, seismologists are assuring Utahns that the recent swarm is not an indication of an impending volcanic eruption.
What spurred this swarm is not exactly known, but officials said it could have been triggered by fluid migration.
“Deep underground, heated water or gases (like CO₂) move through tiny cracks in the Earth’s crust,” seismologists explained. “As these fluids move, they act like a lubricant, causing small, ‘shattered’ faults to slip and slide, causing small earthquakes.”
If anything, officials said the swarm was a good reminder that Utah is earthquake country and that residents and visitors should be prepared.
Source: Utah News