SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The recent 3.5 magnitude earthquake was likely an aftershock of the large 2020 quake in Magna, according to seismologists.
The 3.5 magnitude quake shook the Wasatch Front on Friday, Feb. 13, around 6:30 p.m., and its epicenter was located northwest of West Valley City. It was felt widely from Stansbury Park to West Jordan to Salt Lake City.
Did you feel it? 3.5 magnitude Earthquake shakes Wasatch Front
According to University of Utah Seismograph Stations, there have been 13 aftershocks from Friday’s earthquake, and they overlap with the aftershock region of the 5.7 magnitude quake in Magna back in March of 2020. Based on that information, they said it’s likely that this recent earthquake was an aftershock of that larger quake.
“Seismicity in the Magna area is still elevated relative to pre-2020 levels, indicating that aftershocks are still continuing,” University of Utah Seismograph Stations wrote on social media.
The energy released by an earthquake increases or decreases exponentially as the magnitude increases or decreases, so Friday’s earthquake released about 2000 times less energy than the 2020 earthquake, according to the Utah Geological Survey…