Thread: Magnitude-5.2 earthquake shakes New Mexico, Arizona

Magnitude-5.2 earthquake shakes New Mexico, Arizona

Sun Jun 29, 2014 10:21am EDT

(Reuters) - A 5.2-magnitude earthquake near the border of Arizona and New Mexico rattled a significant swath of the U.S. Southwest late Saturday but caused no major damage or injuries, the United States Geological Survey said.

The earthquake was centered about 31 miles (50 km) northwest of the city of Lordsburg, New Mexico, and could be felt some 150 miles (240 km) west in the city of Tucson, Arizona, and 300 miles east (480 km) in Roswell, New Mexico, the USGS and local media reported.

The quake hit at 9.59 p.m. local time at a depth of about 3 miles (5 km) and was followed by two small aftershocks, the USGS said.

It knocked pictures from walls and caused light fixtures to swing, local media reported. It also prompted scores of people across the region to call 911.

In the southeastern Arizona town of Thatcher, residents saw roads and structures swaying.

"It just kept shaking and shaking, and I grabbed the arm of the girl next to me," Jennifer Taylor, a dispatcher for the Graham County Sheriff's Office, told KPHO-TV. "We went out to the patio and looked up and our radio tower was shaking."

In El Paso, Texas, about 150 miles (240 km) east of the epicenter along Interstate 10, local officials tweeted that staff inside the El Paso International Airport control tower said they felt the quake.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...0F40KM20140629

Earthquakes on Arizona-N.M. border felt in Valley

Earthquake NW of Lordsburg, near New Mexico border

Connor Wince, The Republic | azcentral.com 10:13 a.m. MST June 29, 2014


(Photo: azcentral)

Four earthquakes occurred overnight between around 10 p.m. Saturday and 7:30 a.m. Sunday along the Arizona-New Mexico border ranging from a 3.4- to 5.2-magnitude, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The earthquakes all occurred within the same general location, about 30 miles northwest of Lordsburg, N.M.

The largest earthquake, a 5.2-magnitude, occurred around 10 p.m. on Saturday, followed by a 3.5, 3.4 and 3.6-magnitude earthquake that finished Sunday morning, according to USGS.

Bruce Presgrave, a geophysicist with USGS, said the three lower magnitude earthquakes are aftershocks of the 5.2-magnitude, but are still considered to be individual earthquakes.

The earthquake occurred within the North American tectonic plate and was caused by a normal spreading of the plate, Presgrave said.

He said it is not uncommon to see such instances in the region where the earthquakes occurred due to a gradual spreading of the rock.

Arizona residents in Graham County, Safford, Tucson, Gilbert, Mesa, Chandler and other areas have reported feeling the tremor.

The Arizona Department of Transportation was dispatched Sunday morning to southeast Arizona to inspect roads that may have been damaged by the earthquake.

ADOT Spokesman Tom Herrmann said there is currently no indication of damage or restrictions on any roadways, but ADOT continues to look for possible damage.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/arizona/2014/06/29/arizona-new-mexico-earthquakes/11705159/