The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 3.3 Earthquake at a depth of 11.9 km in Morgan County, Utah, roughly 22 km northeast of Salt Lake City, slightly before 10.35 pm local time on Wednesday 11 June 2014 (slightly before 4.35 am on Thursday 12 June GMT). The quake was felt across a wide area of northern Utah, but there are no reports of any damage or casualties.
The approximate location of the 11 June 2014 Morgan County Earthquake. Google Maps.
Utah is in a zone of active mountain orogeny (mountain growth), fueled by the subduction zone on the American West Coast. The state is criss-crossed by faults associated with its many growing mountain ranges, which form part of the Rockies. The rocks of the North American lithosphere are being pushed to the east by seafloor spreading beneath the Pacific and to the west by seafloor spreading beneath the Atlantic. This results in folding and upthrust within the plate, principally in the Rocky Mountains, which run along the western margin of the North American Plate, close to the subduction and fault zones of the continent's west coast. This folding and thrusting leads to frequent Earthquakes throughout the Rocky Mountain region.
Witness accounts of quakes can help geologists to understand these events and the rock structures that cause them. If you felt this quake (or if you wee in the area but did not, which is also useful information) you can report it to the USGS here.
See also...
The United States Geological Survey recorded...
The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 3.8 Earthquake at a depth of 7.8 km in Mineral County in western...
The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake at a depth of 5.0 km, roughly 15 km north of Chalis...
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