The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 3.0 Earthquake at a depth of 9 km in Morgan County, Utah, northeast of Salt Lake City, slightly after 11.40 am local time (slightly after 5.40 pm GMT) on Saturday 5 May 2015. The quake was felt locally, but there are no reports of any damage or casualties.
The approximate location of the 5 May 2015 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.
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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...
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