Swarm of earthquakes in Alaska puzzles scientists
Source: Associated Press
Jun 16, 6:30 PM EDT
Swarm of earthquakes in Alaska puzzles scientists
By RACHEL D'ORO
Associated Press
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- A moderate earthquake shook northwest Alaska on Monday, the fifth temblor of the same magnitude since April in an area with otherwise little activity, seismologists said.
The magnitude-5.7 quake struck at 4:01 a.m. Monday northeast of the village of Noatak, the Alaska Earthquake Center reported. As with other temblors in the earthquake swarm, the quake was felt in Noatak, an Inupiat Eskimo community of 560 people.
"It woke me up," said resident Alvin Ashby. "Some people slept through it."
People there aren't used to earthquakes, and these have some residents worried, said Ashby, who has lived in the community most of his life.
Before the swarm that began April 18, the last known quake of similar size in the area was a magnitude-5.5 quake that occurred in 1981, earthquake center seismologist Natasha Ruppert said.
Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ALASKA_QUAKE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-06-16-18-30-16
bravenak
(34,648 posts)My husband never notices, but i'm from California and i always feel them.
Scairp
(2,749 posts)They know they haven't mapped all faults in the world, let alone the most seismically active state in the U.S. Seismologists are the last people who should be surprised at a rash of earthquakes in Alaska.
dem in texas
(2,674 posts)We lived near North Pole, Alaska in the 1960's. One summer, it was either 66 or 67, we had earthquakes all summer, swarms like that. Some were large, but things were shaking all the time. Cracks in the walls and around the windows. Got used to them. Things finally settled down.
mainer
(12,037 posts)It's like being "puzzled" by earthquakes in California.
jakeXT
(10,575 posts)freshwest
(53,661 posts)May not be too funny for the people that live there, though.
DeSwiss
(27,137 posts)DhhD
(4,695 posts)The mantle under Alaska is moving 20 to 30 times faster than the crust -- reversing the usual order of plate tectonics.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)Brigid
(17,621 posts)Is there any fracking going on up there?
Rosa Luxemburg
(28,627 posts)freshwest
(53,661 posts)roguevalley
(40,656 posts)valerief
(53,235 posts)niyad
(113,771 posts)freshwest
(53,661 posts)Hekate
(90,978 posts)That would be my guess.
Brother Buzz
(36,490 posts)Or perhaps a long dormant volcano is awakening from its slumber
truthisfreedom
(23,163 posts)They're blasting out caves for more real estate.