A 3.8 magnitude earthquake in Las Vegas highlights seismic risks in Southern Nevada

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — A 3.8 magnitude earthquake struck Thursday afternoon stunned residents across the Las Vegas Valley, with reports of tremors as far west as Pahrump.

The quake occurred just before 2 p.m. and was centered six miles west of Summerlin near the Red Rock Canyon area. According to experts, the earthquake was relatively superficial, and occurred about six kilometers (about 4.5 miles) below the surface.

“It was relatively shallow, about 6 kilometers deep and about 4 and a half miles. This is something very similar to a Nevada event. We have shallow earthquakes in Nevada. That means it’s the same strength and we feel it more at the surface,” said Dr. Christy Rowe, director of the Nevada Seismic Laboratory.

While Nevada ranks third among the most earthquake-prone states in the country after Alaska and California, Dr. Rowe said the location of Thursday’s quake came as a surprise.

“This earthquake was surprising because we don’t know of any faults at this particular location, but that’s actually not uncommon, especially in southern Nevada, because the faults we know about are ones that have led to earthquakes in the recent past, and we have a lot of faults out there. We haven’t had an earthquake in the recent past, so there’s always a surprise,” Dr. Roy added.

Many Southern Nevadans may not realize how many fault lines there are throughout the region. Experts say many faults are located closer to populated areas than most people think.

“Las Vegas has so many fault lines that many people don’t realize that any of them can cause earthquakes,” Jay DeMarco of the City of Las Vegas Emergency Management Team previously shared.

One of these fault lines is located near the heart of downtown Las Vegas.

“There’s actually a fault line that runs directly underneath the baseball field where Team 51 used to play,” DeMarco added.

Despite ongoing research, experts say it is still difficult to accurately predict when or where the next major earthquake will strike.

“A big event could happen tomorrow, or a big event might not happen for 50 to 100 years. We really don’t know because the fault lines operate on their own time, and they can disappear at any time. A lot of people assume they’re not happening here,” DeMarco said.

Although no damage or injuries were reported immediately following Thursday’s earthquake, experts warn that seismic activity may continue in the coming hours and days.

Dr Rowe said: “It is possible that there will be some aftershocks felt every now and then; one of these quakes turned out to be just a foreshock, but we don’t know that until a bigger quake happens afterwards.”

The earthquake is an important reminder for residents to review their emergency preparedness plans.

“The kind of thing we would really worry about is something big enough to destroy our water supply, potentially cut out power, and impact communications. Have some food and water at home and supplies that will help you get through any shortages that may occur after a major earthquake,” Rowe advised.

Nevada is also preparing to implement the ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system, similar to the program already operating in California. The system is designed to send alerts to residents seconds before the tremor starts, saving valuable time to take preventative action.

For now, experts are encouraging Southern Nevadans to use Thursday’s quake as a reminder to prepare.

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