OUTDOORS + RECREATION

Magnitude 3.6 earthquake felt at Zion National Park and surrounding areas

Dec 21, 2021, 5:31 PM | Updated: Dec 22, 2021, 6:35 am
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Sunset in Zion National Park. (Photo: Dan Bammes)
(Photo: Dan Bammes)

SPRINGDALE, Utah — Visitors were rattled by a decent-sized earthquake at Zion National Park Tuesday afternoon.

The 3.6 magnitude earthquake shoot park visitors and surrounding areas just after 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 21.

The epicenter of the earthquake was five miles east of Zion National Park and 22 miles east of Hurricane. The shaking was felt in much of the surrounding area.

There were no reports of injuries or damage from the earthquake. There were also no reports of aftershocks felt.

Since 1962, the University of Utah Seismograph Stations reports eight earthquakes with a magnitude of 3.0 within 16 miles of this quake. The largest of those was an M3.4 earthquake hitting four miles east of Colorado City, Arizona. That was back on March 11, 1989.

In the past week, Utah has felt one earthquake with a magnitude of 3.6. There have also been seven other quakes, raningin on the Richter scale between 2.0 and 3.0. There were also 20 other earthquakes below a 2.0 magnitude; those are typically not felt by humans.

The largest earthquake to strike Utah recently was on March 18, 2020. That’s when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck Magna, Utah, knocking out power to thousands of people and causing millions of dollars in damage.

Keep up with the latest quakes right here.

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Magnitude 3.6 earthquake felt at Zion National Park and surrounding areas