Latest news with #SawtoothFault
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Mystery as small unexpected US town is rattled by dozens of earthquakes overnight
A small town in Idaho has been rattled by more than 35 earthquakes in just 24 hours. The US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the swarm near Stanley, a town of fewer than 150 people perched along a fault line capable of producing major quakes. The latest tremor, a 3.5 magnitude, hit at 9:48am PT (12:48pm ET) on Wednesday. Stanley sits near the Sawtooth Fault, a 40-mile-long fault line running through central Idaho. While geologically ancient, the Sawtooth Fault was only clearly identified in 2010. It drew national attention after a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck in 2020, one of the largest in Idaho's recent history, which was felt across several states. Experts have called the Sawtooth Fault a 'sleeping giant' as it is dormant for long periods but capable of triggering a devastating earthquake when it awakens. This week's constant wave of seismic activity in the same area is 'unusual' and concerning to Idaho state geologist Claudio Berti, who said it's unclear what's going to happen next. This is a developing story... More updates to come The earthquakes detected overnight range from 1.9 magnitude to 4.0 magnitude. While earthquakes above a 2.5 magnitude can be felt, this region of Idaho is sparsely populated. Only dozens of people reported shaking in the last 24 hours.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Rocky mountain state rattled by a dozen earthquakes is just six hours sparking fears 'The Big One' is coming
Idaho has been rocked by flurry of earthquakes, with more than a dozen breaking out within the last 12 hours. The US Geological Survey (USGS) has revealed that several of these quakes were stronger than 3.5 in magnitude. The latest one (magnitude 3.9) struck just outside the small town of Stanley in Central Idaho at 9:06am ET Tuesday morning. Overall, there have been a staggering 33 earthquakes recorded by USGS in the same area of Idaho since 2:13pm Monday afternoon. Stanley, which has a population of less than 150 people, played a key role in the gold rush during the late 1860s and 1870s. Stanley also sits near the Sawtooth Fault, a 40-mile-long fault line running through central Idaho. While geologically ancient, the Sawtooth Fault was only clearly identified in 2010. It drew national attention after a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck in 2020, one of the largest in Idaho's recent history, which was felt across several states. Experts have called the Sawtooth Fault a 'sleeping giant' as it is dormant for long periods but capable of triggering a devastating earthquake when it awakens. This week's constant wave of seismic activity in the same area is 'unusual' and concerning to Idaho state geologist Claudio Berti, who said it's unclear what's going to happen next. Between 10:23pm ET Monday night and 5am Tuesday morning, a dozen moderate-sized earthquakes struck the area around Stanley. Then, USGS reported that another four quakes rattled the region starting at 7:57am ET. Three of these quakes exceeded 3.5 in magnitude. Earthquakes between 2.5 and 5.4 are typically felt by people and may cause minor damage. No damage has been reported from this swarm. Seismic swarms can sometimes act as precursors to larger earthquakes along a certain fault line, but there's no guarantee such an event will take place. However, scientists estimate the fault could produce magnitude 7.0 or greater earthquakes, strong enough to cause serious shaking and damage hundreds of miles away. 'When we get one single [earthquake] event somewhere in the middle of nowhere, it is hard to make any sense of it,' Berti told the Idaho Statesman. He explained that when there's a constant series of quakes focused in a specific area, their alignment tends to reveal the location and shape of the fault — the crack in the Earth's crust where rocks move and cause earthquakes.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Dozen earthquakes rock US town sitting on top of a 'sleeping giant' fault
A small town in Idaho has experienced 12 earthquakes in the last 24 hours. The US Geological Survey (USGS) detected the seismic activity near Stanley, a town that played a key role in the gold rush during the late 1860s and 1870s. The first earthquake struck at 4:33pm ET on Sunday, with the most recent recorded at 2:17om today, ranging in magnitude from 2.5 to 3.4. According to Michigan Tech University, quakes between 2.5 and 5.4 are typically felt by people and may cause minor damage. No damage has been reported from this swarm. Stanley sits near the Sawtooth Fault, a 40-mile-long fault line running through central Idaho. While geologically ancient, the Sawtooth Fault was only clearly identified in 2010. It drew national attention after a magnitude 6.5 earthquake in 2020, one of the largest in Idaho in recent history, which was felt across several states. Scientists estimate the fault could produce magnitude 7.0 or greater earthquakes, strong enough to cause serious shaking and damage hundreds of miles away. Experts have called the Sawtooth Fault a 'sleeping giant' as it is dormant for long periods but capable of triggering a devastating earthquake when it awakens. This is a developing story... More updates to come The US Geological Survey (USGS) detected the seismic activity near Stanley, a town that played a key role in the gold rush during the late 1860s and 1870s. The first earthquake struck at 4:33pm ET on Sunday, with the most recent recorded at 2:17om today, ranging in magnitude from 2.5 to 3.4
