4.4 Magnitude Quake Rattles SW Montana
An earthquake measuring 4.4 on the Richter Scale shook the town of Lima, Montana, just after noon on Tuesday.
That initial quake was followed by an aftershock registering 3.2.
The depth of the two earthquakes were just over six miles each.
The 4.4 magnitude was the largest so far in 2019 in the state of Montana.
No significant damage was reported in the area, but an official with the school district noted that it gave students and teachers an opportunity to review and practice an earthquake drill after the incident.
According to the USGS, aftershocks hit the area on Wednesday, all within just a few miles of Lima.
The first was a 2.6 magnitude, the second registered at a magnitude of 3.4, and the third was a 2.6.
Seismic activity in Montana is not uncommon, but in recent weeks there has been an uptick in earthquakes measuring at least 2.5 or more. Here is a list of seismic activity of 2.5 or more in western and southwestern Montana in 2019:
- 2/2/19: 2.6 magnitude near Lincoln
- 2/3/19: 3.7 magnitude near Lincoln
- 2/3/19: 2.6 magnitude near Lincoln
- 2/3/19: 3.4 magnitude near Lincoln
- 2/3/19: 2.8 magnitude near Lincoln
- 2/3/19: 2.7 magnitude near Lincoln
- 2/4/19: 2.5 magnitude near Lincoln
- 2/6/19: 3.0 magnitude near Manhattan
- 2/22/19: 3.7 magnitude near Manhattan
- 2/22/19 2.7 magnitude near Manhattan
- 3/2/19: 2.5 magnitude near Manhattan
- 3/5/19: 2.6 magnitude near Manhattan
- 3/21/19: 3.1 magnitude near Lincoln
- 3/24/19: 3.2 magnitude near Seeley Lake
- 3/25/19: 2.6 magnitude near Manhattan
- 4/9/19: 4.4 magnitude near Lima
- 4/9/19: 3.2 magnitude near Lima
- 4/10/19: 2.6 magnitude near Lima
- 4/10/19: 3.4 magnitude near Lima
- 4/10/19: 2.6 magnitude near Lima
- 4/14/19: 2.7 magnitude near Lincoln
- 4/15/19: 2.7 magnitude near Libby (mine collapse, classified as non-earthquake by USGS)
- 4/16/19: 2.6 magnitude near Manhattan
- 4/16/19: 2.5 magnitude near Townsend
- 4/19/19: 2.6 magnitude near Lincoln
- 4/29/19: 2.6 magnitude near Seeley Lake
- 5/8/19: 3.0 magnitude near Manhattan
Back on February 21, at approximately 11:45 p.m., residents around the Gallatin Valley reported feeling an earthquake centered near Manhattan. That quake measured 3.8 in magnitude, but occurred at a depth of only 2.4 miles, causing many people to wake up and report the loud sound of the earthquake as it shook the community.