A small earthquake rattled western Montana last night. I saw the dishwater rocking and heard some logs creaking, thought "earthquake?" but figured I was probably imagining things. Within minutes, though, a number of other Montana bloggers confirmed it, and Kim, our MSU geology student, tracked down the USGS data. It was a 5.6 centered near Dillon in southwestern Montana.
Growing up in California, I've felt a lot of quakes, and I was living in Berkeley when the big 1989 World Series 7.0 quake hit. Coincidentally, I recently wrote a story for a UM research newsletter about the high probability of a 7.0 temblor on the little-known Flathead Lake fault. An excerpt:
Core samples and mapping ... reveal two geologically recent quakes of about 7.0 magnitude on the Richter Scale. The evidence confirms earlier discoveries made by the Bureau of Land Management that suggest the earthquakes occurred 15,000 and 7,700 years B.P.
Since those two quakes were about 8,000 years apart, and the last one was about 8,000 years ago, Hendrix says we're due for another one.
"Missoula has a significant earthquake risk," he says. "There is a very high probability of a major quake at any time, geologically speaking."
In terms of seismic activity, Montana, Hendrix explains, is second only to California. And since Flathead Lake is the largest freshwater body west of the Mississippi, a quake here could have additional consequences: "The seiching action could cause an inland tsunami," he says.
Thinking twice about that lakefront property?
7 Comments:
Indeed, Montana is very seismic, especially the regions in the Intermountain Seismic Belt (aka Western Montana). Hopefully this tremor, as well as the data from tremors past will actually wake a few people up as to how serious things have the potential of getting. :/
Darn...and here I am telling my wife that we don't have to worry about tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, or earthquakes here in Montana...
P,
Have you seen Eathquake Lake just south of Dillon?
Flat, no, I haven't been there. Know about it, though.
Dave, think again!
Kim, it's scary how ill-prepared Montana, and Montanans, are. Remember this much, people: Duck and cover!
An earthquake in Montana! That could affect dozens of people!
Sorry, I just couldn't help myself.
Ha ha, very funny, Mike. :-)
Actually Patia that number might have been an exaggeration.
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