Northwestern US experiences swarm of 40 earthquakes in 24 hours
Experts said the tremors were not a sign of a larger event
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The northwestern region of the United States has experienced a string of earthquakes with more than 40 tremors reported in 24 hours.
The US Geological Survey located the tremors on an active geological fault off the Oregon coast on Tuesday, roughly 200 miles from the town of Newport.
The coastal town, which bore the brunt of the tremors that were felt, was among dozens of places to report the earthquakes.
Reports suggested the tremors ranged from 3.5 to 5.8 in magnitude, and were also felt in Washington state. A number of quakes higher than magnitude 5 were reported on Wednesday.
Experts said the swarm of earthquakes were not a sign of a so-called “big one” that is forecast for the western US at some point in the future, however.
“Today’s quakes can be thought of as something like a main-shock and a swarm of aftershocks,” a seismologist, Lucy Jones, said.
She told CNN that since 1980 there have been more than 133 quakes of magnitude 5 or greater, none of which have been followed by something bigger, or on land.
Although Tuesday’s quakes were widely felt, they were not enough for a tsunami warning.
“You need quite a bit of vertical displacement on the ocean floor to generate a tsunami, and earthquakes along the Blanco fault don’t generate it,” another seismologist, Jochen Braunmiller, said to Science Daily in 2018.
The area where the swarm was focused is called the The Blanco Transform Fault Zone.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments