MILLARD COUNTY, Utah, April 14, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — Southwestern Utah got hit with a series of earthquakes late Saturday night, the strongest being a magnitude 4.0.
The epicenter was 11 miles east-northeast of Black Rock just before 10 p.m., according to the University of Utah Seismograph Stations. Black Rock is an unincorporated area roughly 77 miles north of Cedar City in southern Millard County.
The 4.0, which had a depth of 2.4 miles, was followed by magnitude 2.7 and 1.7 temblors, for a total of three within 31 minutes, all in the same general area.
The U.S. Geological Survey said on its website that earthquakes of magnitudes 2.5 to 5.4, of which there are around 30,000 per year worldwide, are often felt, but usually cause minor damage, if any.
Earthquakes are also classified in categories ranging from minor to great, depending on their magnitude; earthquakes of magnitude 2 to 3.9 are classed as minor. Earthquakes of magnitude 4 to 4.9 are classed as light and 5.0 to 5.9 magnitude are classed as moderate.
