4.7 Earthquake in Utah Surprised Those Who Plan for Disasters

A 4.7 earthquake near Evanston Wyoming rattled people awake along the Wasatch front. and there have been some aftershocks in the same area. There are many small tremors in Utah every year, but this one was different. 

Recent Work to Map Central Utah’s Faults 

The Utah Geological Survey announced a new high-resolution map of faults in central Utah. Knowing where the faults are and how often earthquakes have happened there helps communities plan for possible future events. 

The faults in Northern Utah have been tracked for these reasons, and the new information for the middle of the state is helpful. The recent 4.7 earthquake near Evanston reminds us that even with the best planning, something unexpected can happen. 

Earthquake Happened in and Area Not Known for Shaking 

The area where the earthquake happened is known as the Bear River Fault Zone. It took some digging to even find where it happened as this fault hadn’t seen any action in 10,000 years and it looked like it was completely dormant. 

It had kind of dropped out of where seismologists were looking because of the low probability. The focus had turned to faults along the Wasatch front that had a much higher risk of earthquakes. 

Read More: How to Collect Petrified Wood in Utah Without Getting in Trouble

What does this mean for Utah? There is good work being done to prepare for something big shaking up the state, but the earth can always surprise us.