Seismic activity increase seen in Idaho and greater Yellowstone region

When most people think about earthquakes, they think of California, and more recently, Oklahoma. However, there are many other regions in the county in which there is seismic activity, and where large earthquakes can occur. One of these is where Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming meet. This area is notable for being home to Yellowstone National Park, and Hebgen Lake, the site of a M=7.3 quake in 1959.

Over the last year, this region has only seen 19 M=3+ earthquakes. However, 7 of these have occurred in the last month, including a M=3.4 just a few hours ago. None of these quakes caused any damage and few were felt. Nonetheless, the rate of earthquakes increased by a large factor. While this increase in seismic activity is not cause for concern, it does highlight the fact that seismic hazards are widespread.

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