Yellowstone National Park rocked by 4.2-magnitude earthquake

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WY - JUNE 01: Visitors attempt social distancing as they watch Old Faithful geyser erupt when Montana gates opened for day trips on June 1, 2020 in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. The park's Montana entrances opened as

A 4.2-magnitude earthquake rocked Yellowstone National Mark in Wyoming Wednesday, according to the Wyoming Geologic Association.

Geologists said the epicenter struck at 7:32 a.m. local time, 91 miles north-northeast of Jackson, Wyoming, near Little Saddle Mountain in the Absaroka Range.

Local authorities have not reported any injuries or damage. 

According to the Billings Gazette, the earthquake was felt as far away as Cody, Wyoming and Bozeman, Montana. 

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The park’s website says that Yellowstone "is one of the most seismically active areas in the United States" with approximately 700 to 3,000 earthquakes occurring each year in the area. Geologists said that’s due to the numerous faults associated with surrounding volcanoes and tectonic plates. 

The park also experiences "earthquake swarms" which is a series of earthquakes over a short amount of time in one general area. 

Park rangers recalled some of the park’s more noticeable earthquakes. On March 30, 2014, a 4.8-magnitude struck the area. On June 16, 2017, a 4.36 quake was located about nine miles north-northwest of West Yellowstone, Montana.

This story was reported from Los Angeles. 







 

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