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4.3 magnitude earthquake rattles Moab residents

Temblor happened near Utah’s border with Colorado in a remote area — so damage to homes or buildings not likely, officials say.

A 4.3 magnitude earthquake was felt by Moab residents on Saturday evening, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The earthquake happened in the area of Utah’s border with Colorado. The USGS said it occurred about 33 miles from Moab. Four people from Moab reported feeling the quake on the USGS’ website.

Jana Pursley, a USGS geophysicist, said the earthquake happened in a fairly remote area so it shouldn’t have affected any homes or buildings. She said people felt the earthquake from a distance.

The University of Utah Seismograph Stations said in a news release that the epicenter of the earthquake was in Paradox Valley in western Colorado. The earthquake happened in an area where there are frequently small earthquakes triggered by underground saltwater injection, according to the release. There have been 13 earthquakes, including the one today, of magnitude 3.0 or greater since 1997 within 16 miles of the epicenter of today’s quake.

In March, a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Magna in Salt Lake County. It was the state’s largest since a 1992 earthquake in St. George. The last Salt Lake County earthquake of at least a magnitude 5 was in 1962.



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