Great
Earthquakes In Diverse Places
Texas: Earthquake shakes Up West Texans
Posted: Sunday, September 11, 2011 8:07 pm
Midland Reporter-Telegram
A short-lived earthquake awoke some West Texans on Sunday morning
to the unusual sound of shutters rattling and items jostling on
nightstands.
The 4.4-magnitude quake hit 11 miles north-northeast of Snyder at
7:27 a.m., and lasted only a few seconds, according to firsthand
witnesses. Officials had not been notified of any damage or
injuries as of Sunday afternoon.
"It just shook and made kind of a rumble," said Lt. Darrel Craig
of the Snyder Fire Department. "It was like a B-1 bomber flying
over. It lasted maybe four or five seconds."
While anyone near a magnitude 4-range earthquake will certainly
feel a good jolt, said geophysicist Rafael Abreu, they're still
not considered "big" earthquakes, and aren't cause for alarm.
"These are known to happen just about anywhere in the world," said
Abreu, who works for the U.S. Geological Survey National
Earthquake Center.
West Texas had experienced two aftershocks from the Snyder quake
as of Sunday afternoon, with a 2.5-magnitude earthquake happening
nearby at 1:36 p.m. and a 2.7-magnitude at 3:31 p.m.
"This is exactly the sort of thing we expect after a 4.4," Abreu
said, adding that the aftershocks may continue through the next
few days.
The center received 18 responses from Midland residents who said
they felt weak shaking during the first earthquake. Instances were
reported as far as Iraan, Graham and Childress. Three Snyder
residents reported feeling the first aftershock, and 12 had felt
the second as of Sunday evening.
A search through National Earthquake Center's database for past
earthquakes within a 20-kilometer radius from Snyder yields
results for four different ones that happened earlier this year.
The most powerful area earthquake this year in March had a
magnitude of 3.1.
"The other earthquakes during this year in that area have been in
the 2- to 3- magnitude range," Abreu said. "Those happen by the
thousands around the world every day."
Though the center is looking into what may be causing the
frequency of these events, the geophysicist said West Texans
shouldn't worry about the area's latest quakes.
"We do tell people to be alert and be educated regarding what
exactly is the seismic activity is for their region," he said. "At
this point we can say this is definitely something people should
not be alarmed about."