How many earthquakes are happening under our feet? University of Utah researchers reveal answer
Jul 27, 2023, 8:00 PM
FILE: A student walks past the U on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Megan Nielsen/Deseret News)
(Megan Nielsen/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Ever wondered how many earthquakes are happening right now? Well, at least for Utah, there’s a lot more than we can feel, according to researchers at the University of Utah.
University of Utah researchers looked at data across the state and found what is called earthquake swarms in central Utah. Basically, these are tiny little earthquakes that happen in rapid succession.
These swarms can register at 0.5 on the Richter scale, so it’s no wonder we can’t feel them. However, machines at the University of Utah can.
The swarms are coming sometimes in amounts of 30 or 40 an hour, pausing and then starting up again.
These are not like what we had in Magna in 2020 with aftershocks.
One researcher says these quakes are probably happening all the time.
Additionally, the University of Utah says this is a really important step to better understanding what is happening right under our feet.
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