A 4.5 magnitude earthquake centered about 59 miles southwest of Grand Junction, Colo., was felt in communities across southeastern Utah early Monday.
The quake, at 10:22 a.m., was followed by a 2.0 magnitude about 20 minutes later. There were no reports of damage, but residents in Blanding, La Sal and Mexican Hat felt the tremor.
According to seismologist James Pechman of the University of Utah Seismological Stations, the quakes occurred in an area that experiences multiple, induced earthquakes caused by water injection wells.
It’s the largest of 332 earthquakes the UUSS has recorded since Feb. 17.
According to the UUSS, the series of quakes in Herriman, southern Utah and now eastern Utah do not necessarily portend a bigger quake is coming, but they do not lessen the chances of a big quake, either.
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