A 3.9 magnitude earthquake shook Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park on Tuesday evening, January 28. The earthquake was normal for the region, according to USGS.
“The earthquake is typical of the Yellowstone region and not a sign of any significant unrest, and it was reported felt by a few people in the Yellowstone region,” the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) wrote in a Facebook post.
Scientists rate earthquakes on a magnitude scale. Typically, earthquakes near a magnitude 4 or above can be felt by humans.
Norris Geyser Basin is the oldest and hottest geothermal area in the park. The basin sits at the intersection of two fault lines, making it particularly vulnerable to quakes.
The largest recorded earthquake to hit within the park boundaries hit close to Norris Geyser Basin in 1975. That earthquake was a magnitude 6, but there was little damage and no injuries reported at the time, according to USGS’s Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.
Around 1,500 to 2,000 earthquakes occur in Yellowstone each year, many of which are at a magnitude 2 or below.
