Multiple earthquakes hit just miles outside of a military base in Nevada, which played a significant role in America's nuclear bomb testing.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) detected three tremors on Thursday, with a magnitude 3.3 quake hitting at 9:52am ET about 14 miles northeast of Nellis Air Force Base. This was followed by two smaller tremors just minutes later.
Nellis Air Force Base tested US nuclear weapons above ground during the 1950s and 1960s, but testing moved underground until all operations ceased in 1992.
Nellis sits within the same large federally protected area as the classified Area 51 base.
The USGS received reports of shaking as far west as North Las Vegas, but no injuries or damage have been reported.
The seismic activity occurred along the California Wash Fault, part of the broader Basin and Range Province that stretches across much of the western US.
In this region, the Earth's crust is gradually being pulled apart, causing faulting and frequent earthquakes.
Nevada is the nation's third-most seismically active state, ranking behind only California and Alaska.
Scientists estimate that the California Wash Fault is capable of producing a powerful earthquake of up to magnitude 6.5.
The most recent major tremor, a magnitude 6.3, occurred in 1943 near Caliente. Due to the remote location, no significant damage was reported.
Nellis was designated as part of the Nevada Proving Grounds in 1950 and later supported the Nevada Test Site (NTS), established in 1951 for nuclear testing.
No comments:
Post a Comment