Scientists monitoring 'intense' earthquake swarm
DOGAMI says swarm 40 miles southeast of Lakeview, Ore., has been ongoing since mid-July
MGN. PORTLAND, Ore. — Scientists in Oregon, Washington and Nevada released an update Wednesday about an intense earthquake swarm occurring 40 miles southeast of Lakeview, Oregon.
According to the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI), the swarm in northwestern Nevada along Oregon's border has been ongoing since mid-July and has become much more active in the past few days.
A magnitude 4.6 earthquake occurred at 11:23 p.m. Tuesday night, with magnitude 3-plus events throughout Wednesday, the DOGAMI said. Three magnitude 4-plus earthquakes have occurred since Oct. 30.
In the past three months, the DOGAMI said there have been 42 earthquakes greater than magnitude 3.
Such a sequence of earthquakes does slightly increase the probability that a larger earthquake will occur, according to the DOGAMI. The current swarm resembles a 1968 swarm in Adel, Oregon, which lasted several months and included three earthquakes of approximately magnitude 5.
The DOGAMI said exactly when earthquakes will occur can't be predicted, so being prepared is critical.
"Earthquakes can happen anytime," said Oregon State Geologist Vicki S. McConnell in a press release. "Planning and preparing now helps you be ready."
The swarm is being monitored closely by the DOGAMI, the Nevada Seismological Laboratory at the University of Nevada Reno, the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network at the University of Washington and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Real-time information on this swarm is available at www.seismo.unr.edu and earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/.
For more information about earthquake preparedness from Oregon Emergency Management, click here.
--
__._,_.___
No comments:
Post a Comment