Earth

Series of earthquakes near Oklahoma City, including a 5.6 magnitude

Since last night, Oklahoma has suffered a series of small to moderate earthquakes, with the epicenter 44 miles ENE of Oklahoma City. The largest in the series is a 5.6-magnitude earthquake, which took place on Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 3:53 UTC (10:53 p.m. CDT). No serious injuries had been reported as of midnight, but a major highway buckled in three places, at least three homes sustained major damage and others had roof and chimney damage, according to this report in the L.A. Times. Here are the details of the 5.6-magnitude quake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS):

Location 35.537°N, 96.747°W
Depth 5 km (3.1 miles)
Region OKLAHOMA
Distances 34 km (21 miles) NNE of Shawnee, Oklahoma
63 km (39 miles) SSE of Stillwater, Oklahoma
68 km (42 miles) ESE of Guthrie, Oklahoma
71 km (44 miles) ENE of OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma

Oklahoma is considered to be part of the New Madrid earthquake region in the central U.S. The USGS has a great summary of that region here.

Bottom line: The U.S. state of Oklahoma has undergone a series of small to moderate earthquakes on November 5 and 6, 2011, with the largest so far being a 5.6 magnitude quake. The epicenter for the series is 44 miles ENE of Oklahoma City. Some damages, including a buckled highway and several damaged homes, have been reported.

Posted 
November 6, 2011
 in 
Earth

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Deborah Byrd

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