A 4.5 magnitude earthquake shook southern Texas near San Antonio on Wednesday evening. The USGS reports that this earthquake is likely the main shock in a sequence that began with smaller tremors in early January. Many residents in the area reported feeling the quake, with reports extending as far north as Killeen.
A magnitude 4.5 earthquake shook southern Texas near San Antonio on Wednesday evening, according to the U.S. Geological Survey ( USGS ). The quake struck at 9:26 p.m. at a depth of about 2.3 miles beneath its epicenter, which was located roughly 12 miles east-northeast of Falls City. A smaller tremor, measuring 2.6 in magnitude, followed a few hours later, striking 10.5 miles south-southeast of Stockdale.
\ The USGS reports that this Falls City quake is likely the main shock in a sequence that began with four smaller tremors (ranging from 1.6 to 2.9 magnitudes) in the first two weeks of January. Earthquakes are measured on a logarithmic scale, meaning a magnitude 5 quake releases 10 times more energy than a magnitude 4 quake at a given distance from the epicenter. Approximately 500,000 earthquakes with magnitudes between 2.5 and 5.4 occur worldwide each year. While their tremors are often felt, they typically cause only minor damage. \ The USGS has recorded 642 reports of people feeling the Falls City quake, primarily near the epicenter and east of San Antonio, with some reports extending as far north as Killeen. Texas residents have also shared their experiences on X. User @remi_ur_angel posted, 'yall feel that earthquake?? im right near downtown san antonio,' while @erotescry wrote, 'Um. Just felt my first earthquake ever and I live in San Antonio 😭 hello??' Earthquakes occur due to the constant movement of tectonic plates across the Earth's surface, though this movement is imperceptibly slow to humans. Most earthquakes occur near the boundaries of these plates, resulting from the slow accumulation of stress in the crust. When this stress exceeds the rock's strength, causing a fault or friction along existing fault lines, the ground slips, releasing waves of energy. \ Although Texas is located far from the boundaries of the North American Plate, geologists wouldn't typically expect significant seismic activity in the state. However, tremors can occur within tectonic plates due to tectonic stresses and weaknesses in the crust. Seismologists have linked an increase in Texas earthquakes to oil and gas operations, which can impact the subsurface stress state
EARTHQUAKE TEXAS SAN ANTONIO USGS TECTONIC PLATES OIL AND GAS OPERATIONS
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