Nevada has experienced an uptick in seismic activity over the last 24 hours.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) detected seven earthquakes, with the largest measuring a 4.8 magnitude, that hit at 7:16am ET near Caliente.
The other tremors, starting Thursday and continuing into Friday, ranged from 1.1 magnitude to 3.3 magnitude.
The 4.8 magnitude is the latest earthquake to hit, with shaking detected as far south as Las Vegas, which sits more than 150 miles south.
It was likely caused by tectonic activity along one of the many fault systems in the Basin and Range Province, a region where the Earth’s crust is gradually being pulled apart, causing faulting and frequent earthquakes.
The USGS detected a 3.3 magnitude earthquake on Thursday about 14 miles northeast of Nellis Air Force Base, located about 145 miles south of Caliente. This was followed by two smaller tremors just minutes later.
Nellis Air Force Base tested US nuclear weapons above ground during the 1950s and 1960s, but testing moved underground until all operations ceased in 1992.
Nevada is the nation’s third-most seismically active state, ranking behind only California and Alaska.
The 4.8 magnitude is the latest earthquake to hit, with shaking detected as far south as Las Vegas (pictured), which sits more than 150 miles south
Caliente is a city in eastern Nevada, which is home to just nearly 1,000 people.
While not as famous as faults in California, eastern Nevada has dozens of mapped and unmapped faults.
The seismic activity near Caliente could also be linked to the Meadow Valley Fault Zone that is part of the Basin and Range Province, which is also where Thursday’s largest quake, the 3.3 magnitude, struck.
The earthquake near Nellis occurred along the California Wash Fault, which is capable of producing a powerful earthquake of up to magnitude 6.5.
The most recent major tremor, a magnitude 6.3, occurred in 1943 near Caliente. Due to the remote location, no significant damage was reported.
On May 14, a 4.0 magnitude hit in the same region.
The epicenter was Valmy, which sits within a region of active fault lines, including the Fairview Peak-Dixie Valley Fault Scarps and the Central Nevada Seismic Belt.
The small town is also along the Pleasant Valley fault that is capable of producing a quake up to a 7.7 magnitude.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) detected seven earthquakes, with the largest measuring a 4.8 magnitude, that hit at 7:16am ET near Caliente (star)
Since this area is part of the Basin, it experiences active crustal stretching, fault movements and occasional deep fluid activity.
There is also mining in the region that can trigger quakes.
Valmy is home to the Twin Creeks Mine and Turquoise Ridge Mine, both of which are substantial gold-producing sites operated by major mining companies.
These operations involve extensive excavation, blasting, and material processing, which can alter the stress distribution in the Earth’s crust, potentially inducing seismic events or earthquake swarms in the surrounding area.
Nevada’s Area 51 was recently hit by a 2.8 magnitude earthquake in February.
The USGS said the quake struck 32 miles southeast of Beatty that sits about 60 miles from the mysterious military facility.
Area 51 has become a cultural phenomenon thanks to decades of conspiracy theories connecting the base to UFOs,aliens and experimental aircraft testing.
A 5.7 magnitude earthquake shook northern Nevada on December 9, 2024.
It was the largest quake since May 15, 2020, when a 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Monte Cristo Range.
Nevada experiences thousands of microearthquakes each year, according to Shakeout.
‘Earthquakes in Western Nevada are caused by the extension that is pulling Nevada apart and wrenching created as the Sierra Nevada is pulled to the north because it is caught up in the Pacific-North America plate motion,’ the site explains.
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