Eight earthquakes rattle Oklahoma in 24 hours, geologists say
Eight earthquakes hit Oklahoma in less than 24 hours, becoming the latest tremors to rattle the state this month, geologists say.
The quakes hit northern and central parts of the state from 8:54 a.m. Thursday to 7:43 a.m. Friday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The most powerful was a 3.4-magnitude earthquake, which had a 6-mile depth and hit about 11 miles northwest of Lindsay, records show. The area is roughly 50 miles south of Oklahoma City.
Some people near the tremor reported little damage and “moderate” shaking from the earthquake.
But places as far away as Pryor, about 200 miles to the northeast, felt “weak” impacts and had no damage, according to the USGS website.
The earthquake was one of three to hit the central part of the state in the past day, officials say. The others were 0.8- and 1.8-magnitude quakes that hit close to the nearby city of Blanchard, according to geologists.
Five others, ranging from 0.6 to 2.6 magnitude, hit north of Oklahoma city, a map shows. Two each shook the ground near the cities of Cherokee and Fairview, while another was reported near Pawnee.
The quakes were the latest of more than 200 to hit Oklahoma since Feb. 5, according to a statewide map.
Several of the tremors were clustered near the cities of Pawnee, Lindsay and other parts of the state, officials say.
A swarm, a series of small quakes at the same location, is often linked to geothermal activity, according to the USGS.
“Swarms are usually short-lived, but they can continue for days, weeks, or sometimes even months,” geologists say.
Each year, there are about 30,000 earthquakes of magnitude ranging from 2.5 to 5.4, according to the Michigan Tech website. They are “often felt” but cause just “minor damage,” officials say.
People usually don’t feel tremors less than 2.5 magnitude, the website says.
This story was originally published March 6, 2020 at 10:11 AM with the headline "Eight earthquakes rattle Oklahoma in 24 hours, geologists say."
