(Sputnik) – Two earthquakes near Fillmore, Utah, in September 2018 and April 2019 measured 4.0 and 4.1 on the Richter scale, their sequences recorded by seismometers within the Utah Regional Seismic Network, which is focusing scientists’ attention on the Black Rock Desert.
Hidden below the vast arid expanses of Utah is an ancient volcanic complex that has been revealed to be a great deal more active than it might seem, according to scientists.
According to a new study, two recent earthquakes near Fillmore in 2018 and 2019, measuring 4.0 and 4.1 on the Richter scale, while not indicative of tectonic activity, were echoes of the ancient Black Rock volcanic field in Utah’s Sevier Desert. The two earthquake sequences were recorded by seismometers within the Utah Regional Seismic Network, as well as by instruments forming part of an experimental project called Utah FORGE.
After analysis of the wave-forms was carried out, it became evident that these quakes were not the result of tectonic activity stemming from fault movements, which typically results in more seismic energy. Shallow signals had been emanating from depths less than 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) under the surface. READ MORE
