Magnitudes for Oklahoma Earthquakes Shift Upward

[OKIsItJustMe]

https://www.usgs.gov/news/magnitudes-oklahoma-earthquakes-shift-upward

[font face=Serif][font size=5]Magnitudes for Oklahoma Earthquakes Shift Upward[/font]

Release Date: September 7, 2016

[font size=4]Revisions follow standard USGS re-analysis[/font]

[font size=3]The U.S. Geological Survey is updating the official magnitude of the September 3, 2016 Pawnee, Oklahoma earthquake to Mw 5.8 (from 5.6), making it Oklahoma’s largest recorded earthquake to date.

The magnitude revision is based on further in-depth analysis of seismic recordings. Changes in estimated magnitude for an earthquake are common in the hours-to-days following the event, as more data are analyzed in greater detail than is possible in the first minutes after the earthquake occurs.

Concurrently, the USGS is also updating the official magnitude of the November 6, 2011 Prague, Oklahoma earthquake to Mw 5.7 (from 5.6). Questions regarding their relative size prompted a re-analysis of both earthquakes. Both updates are the result of comprehensive studies of the long-period, globally-recorded seismic data for these earthquakes, using consistent approaches and datasets for each event.

“USGS analyses indicate that the two earthquakes are very similar in size - to within typically-cited uncertainties of 0.1 magnitude units,” said Gavin Hayes, USGS research geophysicist. “However, the 2016 Pawnee event is slightly larger than the Prague earthquake in 2011,” noted Hayes.

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[Warpy]

1. USGS has been predicting this, along with a very strong quake

at some point in the future. If I lived in central or north central OK, I'd look into getting an automatic shutoff valve to natural gas or propane coming into my house.