NewsMontana News

Actions

Alaska earthquake recorded on Butte seismograph

Posted at 4:03 PM, Dec 03, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-03 18:03:44-05

BUTTE – The large earthquake that hit just outside of Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday was picked up by seismic equipment in Butte.

Michael Stickney of the Earthquake Studies Department at Montana Tech reported that the seismograph in Butte clearly recorded the quake.

Initial reports showed a magnitude 7.0 quake and a 5.8 magnitude quake, which is similar to the size of the quake that happened near Lincoln in July of 2017.

“The Lincoln earthquake was well away from populated areas — at least 20 miles from outside of Helena,” Stickney said. “Whereas the Anchorage earthquake occurred almost directly underneath the city, so they were sitting right on top of it.”

He added that Montana has as many earthquakes as Alaska, but often the magnitudes in Alaska are larger than the ones that hit in the Treasure State.

Story by John Emeigh, MTN News