Earth

5.3-magnitude earthquake in Colorado late night August 22

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The USGS is reporting a series of eight earthquakes – including a magnitude 5.3 midnight earthquake – that shook southern Colorado beginning Monday morning local time, August 22, 2011. The largest of these eight quakes came last night (August 22) just before midnight local time. The 5.3-magnitude quake woke some people up and startled hundreds of others, including some in Colorado Springs, according to Associated Press and a report in the Colorado Springs Gazette.

The 5.3-magnitude quake took place Monday, August 22, 2011 at 11:46:19 p.m. local time (5:46 UTC on August 23). Its epicenter was 15 kilometers (9 miles) west-southwest of Trinidad, Colorado and 290 kilometers (180 miles) south of Denver, Colorado.

See this USGS page for more on the 5.3 magnitude quake.

See this USGS page for more on all eight Colorado earthquakes.

U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist Amy Vaughn told the Colorado Springs Gazette that the midnight 5.3-magnitude quake is the largest in Colorado since a magnitude 5.7 was recorded in 1973.

The Colorado Springs Gazette also reported that a few homes were damaged, and local sheriff’s deputies were investigating reports of rockslides along highways.

Map Centered at 37°N, 105°W (USGS)

The last time the area received such a series of earthquakes was in August and September 2001, when about a dozen smaller-sized temblors were recorded

Read more in the Colorado Springs Gazette.

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Posted 
August 23, 2011
 in 
Earth

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