6.5 Magnitude Earthquake in Idaho Shakes the Region
A strong, magnitude 6.5 earthquake rattled Central Idaho Tuesday afternoon, at 5:52 p.m. Mountain Time.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, The epicenter was located 18.7 miles to the north-northwest of Stanley, Idaho, about 78 miles northeast of Boise.
JUST IN!!!
6.5 magnitude earthquake northeast of Boise, Idaho! Check out this video of the occurrence earlier this evening! #idwx #Earthquake pic.twitter.com/cdtHnnXWuu
— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) April 1, 2020
The shaking was captured by this webcam from SeeJH.com. Minor shaking begins just before the 20 second mark with a more noticeable jolt shortly after. Ducks sitting on the bank of the Salmon River quickly jump into the water once the shaking starts.
An aftershock of magnitude 4.6 was felt about 35 minutes after the initial quake, but additional aftershocks over 4.0 in magnitude are possible in the days to follow. The USGS expects limited landslide activity from this event, with little to no population exposure to the landslide risk.
This was a significant earthquake for the region and the largest since the 6.9 magnitude Borah Peak earthquake in 1983, which occurred about 70 miles to the east-southeast. The mountains of Central Idaho have a history of damaging earthquakes, according to the Idaho Geological Survey.
This was also a shallow earthquake, occurring at a depth of approximately 10 kilometers, about 6 miles. Earthquakes that strike a depth of 70 km or less are considered shallow.
Suspended lights in this Twin Falls kitchen were swaying yesterday after a 6.5 magnitude #earthquake struck Central #Idaho. The epicenter was about 130 miles north of this home but shaking was reported more than 600 miles away.
More here: https://t.co/n9Mi26ghL5 pic.twitter.com/UIlCTY7sgT
— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) April 1, 2020
Shaking was widely felt across Idaho, as well as neighboring states. According to the U.S. Geological Survey’s “Did you feel it?” responses, shaking was felt as far away as 660 miles, in Regina, Saskatchewan.
The shaking apparently caused a stir on social media, due to it’s proximity to Yellowstone National Park and the super-volcano located under the park. Experts quickly dispelled any notion of the earthquake affecting the volcano.
These quakes are not related to Yellowstone, but rather to tectonic extension of the western USA. Unfortunately, strong earthquakes in these areas are common – 1983 Borah Peak ID was M6.9. 1959 Hebgen Lake MT was M7.3. SLC M5.7 is another example.
— USGS Volcanoes🌋 (@USGSVolcanoes) April 1, 2020
The Idaho quake is not Yellowstone. It is over 200 miles away. Eruptions only happen when the magma moves from a chamber to the surface – and the small shaking from a quake that far away doesn't suddenly set all the magma moving.
— Dr. Lucy Jones (@DrLucyJones) April 1, 2020
Seven additional aftershocks with a magnitude of 3+ have been recorded by the time of this article’s publishing. This will be updated as additional information becomes available.