Ground shaking earthquake rocks the US on known ‘active fault’ near Ring of Fire
A GROUND shaking earthquake has struck the US on a known “active fault”, it has emerged.
By JOSEPH CAREY
Express.co.uk
Thu, Dec 14, 2017
The 4.0 magnitude earthquake hit areas around Oregon and Southern Washington at 01.24am GMT (5.24pm Wednesday local time).
The epicentre was located near Scotts Mills in Marion County.
There are currently no reports of damage caused by the natural disaster.
In 1993 a 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit a similar area and was known as the “Spring Break Quake”, according to Scott Burns, a geologist at Portland State University.
He said: “We called that on the Spring Break Quake.
“It was 5.6, much bigger than this one. That was the one that brought attention to everyone in Oregon that this was earthquake country.
“Before that time, we never really thought earthquakes were a big problem.
“A 3.9 quake (since re-classified as a 4.0) is a great quake because it is not going to cause much damage.
“A lot of people are going to feel it and it is a reminder we live in earthquake country.
“It’s a logarithmic scale, so it is actually 30 times more powerful — a 4.9 is 30 times greater (than a 3.9) quake. If you go up to 5.9, that is 900 times greater.”
“The one in 1993 caused $26million worth of damage.
“This one probably did not cause much.”
The incident occurred near the mighty Ring of Fire basin in the Pacific Ocean that stretches past South America, North America, New Zealand and parts of Asia.
As the incident occurred, people took to Twitter after they felt the ground shaking.
One said: “Anyone else felt the minor quake just now? 3.9 felt in Mollala just now #earthquake in #Oregon.”
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