(Photo: Marilyn Newton, Reno Gazette Journal)
A swarm of hundreds of earthquakes in Nevada has intensified recently, prompting experts to warn people to be ready in case larger ones hit.
Starting in July, some 750 earthquakes, mostly magnitude 2.0 to 3.0, have struck a corner of the Nevada desert near the Oregon border, according to several reports. Scientists believe groundwater is slowly percolating along the faults and building up pressure, making movement on the faults much easier, the Los Angeles Times reported.
“If you are not ready for an earthquake, now is an awfully good time to get ready for an earthquake,” Alison Ryan, a spokeswoman for Oregon’s Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, told the paper.
The vast majority of Nevada’s current earthquakes have been undetectable to people walking around, CNN reported. However in recent days, the quakes have grown stronger, with three over magnitude 4.0 and a magnitude 4.6 on Tuesday.
Source: USA Today | Yamiche Alcindor
