Texas Earthquake: 4.9-magnitude tremor felt in Abilene

An earthquake struck Abilene, Texas, late last night and was felt in Austin, about 200 miles to the southeast.

The earthquake measured 4.9 on the Richter scale, strong enough to cause noticeable vibrations indoors and even create minor cracks in walls and ceilings.

The epicenter of the quake was near the Scurry-Fisher County line, 54 miles northwest of Abilene and just 10 miles northeast of Hermleigh. The quake struck at 10:38 p.m. local time, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

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A USGS map showing where the earthquake's tremors were felt (main image) and an archive image of a seismograph (appendix). The magnitude of the earthquake was 4.9 on the Richter scale. A USGS map showing where the earthquake's tremors were felt (main image) and an archive image of a seismograph (appendix). The magnitude of the earthquake was 4.9 on the Richter scale. ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS/USGS

Seismologists say the quake's epicenter was only 4.8 miles below the surface, which means it was fairly shallow.

A few minutes later, an aftershock measuring 4.4 on the Richter scale occurred to the northwest of the first quake, and then a third tremor measuring 3.1 on the Richter scale was felt in the early hours of the morning.

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People in northern Texas, as well as southern Oklahoma, New Mexico and Austin, felt the tremors, data from the US Geological Survey showed.

This quake is the eighth strongest ever to hit Texas, according to local news agency KLBK. There are no current reports of damage or injuries from the quake.

The Richter scale, also known as the earthquake intensity scale, is a logarithmic scale used to measure the amount of energy released by an earthquake. Each integer increase on the Richter scale represents a tenfold increase in the measured amplitude and about 31.6 times the energy released: a magnitude 5.0 earthquake releases about 31.6 times more energy than a magnitude 4.0 earthquake.

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake is classified as a minor earthquake, meaning it may be strong enough to wake sleeping people and may cause noticeable shaking of indoor objects, such as windows, dishes, and doors. While a magnitude 4.9 earthquake is unlikely to cause major structural damage to buildings, it may have minor effects, such as creating small cracks in walls or ceilings.

Earthquakes of this size occur frequently all over the world.

Earthquakes occur when energy is suddenly released in the Earth's crust, creating seismic waves. These waves usually occur at the boundaries of tectonic plates, where the plates move against each other.

Aside from fault lines, earthquakes can also be caused by volcanic activity as magma moves through the planet's crust, or by certain human activities, such as mining, geothermal energy extraction, and hydraulic fracturing.

According to the Volcano Discovery website, which specializes in earthquakes, the amount of energy released by this earthquake is equivalent to 338 tons of TNT. The website estimates that about 1.6 million people across the country may have felt some degree of shaking from this earthquake, with 630,000 people living in areas with “mild” shaking on the modified Mercalli scale, and about 5,000 people living in areas where the shaking was probably “moderate.” The remaining 969,000 people felt a “weak” shake.

Do you have a science story tip that Newsweek should cover? Did you feel last night's earthquake? Let us know at [email protected].

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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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