Posted on 07/25/2005 9:28:53 PM PDT by Troublemaker
The area is pretty seismically active, due to the extension of the entire basin-and-range.
Nothing particular happened at Yellowstone (except changes in the geothermal system, I'd suppose) after the 1983 Magnitude 7.3 Borah Peak, Idaho earthquake, so it's a safe bet nothing particular will happen after this one (again, it's really quite a long ways away from Yellowstone Caldera.)
Hi Karl. I'm out of CA now so if the big one hits, I'll miss it. :(
I just heard that this one was a little over 5. Is that right?
oh, lucky you...
been quiet here recently.
Actually seismic activity and seismic hazard are quite high in Nevada, Idaho, and Utah. There have been some truly enormous quakes (the 7.3 quake in Idaho in 1983, and the 7.3 Hebgen Lake earthquake in Montana in 1959, and three magnitude 7+ quakes in Nevada in this century) but they've been in isolated areas since major human settlement began.
That won't last; eventually places like Reno, Las Vegas, or Salt Lake City will be devastated by large earthquakes.
I admit, you make some pretty convincing points.
Scobey is a long way from Yellowstone.
I sort of thought so --- pinged ole bigsky just in case, but he hasn't replied. I know he's close to the Canadian border.
I see that y'all are having hot weather too. Guess it's hot in most places. I watched a DelMar race on a big screen tv on Saturday... made me sort of homesick... dang it.
Close to the border, but 539 highway miles from West Yellowstone. The mile markers on Highway 2 hit 667 miles just before the North Dakota border...it gets spooky driving past mile 666 at night.
Felt it pretty good here in Helena. My hanging plants in the living room continued to sway for 3 minutes or so afterwards. A friend called and said that her knick-knacks were all moved around. A mild to moderate quake. I hear there are reports of broken glass in Dillon.
No kiddin? Mile 666? Yikes!
http://www.seis.utah.edu/catalog/ynp.shtml
Here's a good page with Yellowstone area quake history.
All them damn Californians movin' to Montana and tryin' to turn the place into another Los Angeles....
Thanks for the ping, Karl.
First hand reports about the 5.6 Montana Quake.
!!!!!
The following is a release by the United States Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center:
A moderate earthquake occurred IN WESTERN MONTANA, about 20 km (15 miles) north-northeast of Dillon or about 65 km (40 miles) south of Butte at 10:08 PM MDT, Jul 25, 2005 (10:08 PM MDT in Montana).
The magnitude and location may be revised when additional data and further analysis results are available. The earthquake was felt in large parts of Montana. It was also felt in Idaho and Wyoming. No reports of damage have been received at this time.
Magnitude 5.6
Date-Time Tuesday, July 26, 2005 at 04:08:36 (UTC)
= Coordinated Universal Time
Monday, July 25, 2005 at 10:08:36 PM
= local time at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 45.398°N, 112.550°W
Depth 5 km (3.1 miles) set by location program
Region WESTERN MONTANA
Distances 21 km (13 miles) NNE (18°) from Dillon, MT
24 km (15 miles) SW (226°) from Twin Bridges, MT
28 km (18 miles) WSW (257°) from Sheridan, MT
353 km (220 miles) NE (55°) from Boise, ID
519 km (323 miles) N (354°) from Salt Lake City, UT
Montana is one of the most seismically active States in the U.S. Since 1925, the State has experienced five shocks that reached intensity VIII or greater (Modified Mercalli Scale ).
During the same interval, hundreds of less severe tremors were felt within the State. Montana's earthquake activity is concentrated mostly in the mountainous western third of the State which lies within a seismic zone that includes western Montana, southeastern Idaho, western Wyoming, and central Utah (see Earthquake History of Montana).
There are a variety of fault types represented in this seismic zone. Some faults clearly show evidence of being the source of many large- magnitude earthquakes in the past, and some faults do not. East- central Idaho and western Montana is characterized by long linear mountain ranges with intervening valleys.
Geologically young faults bound most or all of these mountain blocks. Many of which are capable of producing large-magnitude earthquakes similar to the largest earthquakes that have occurred historically in the seismic zone (about magnitude 7.5). Seismologists have not yet determined the causative fault of the recent earthquake.
Isn't this something? I am rather amazed.
Oops...I didn't know you were on this thread.
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