US research reveals volcanoes in central Utah are still active, but no evidence of impending eruption



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SALT LAKE CITY – University of Utah researchers say an unusual sequence of earthquakes in central Utah in 2018 and 2019 is a reminder that ancient Utah volcanoes in the region are active . Fortunately, they say there is no indication of an impending rash.

The research, which was first published in Geophysical Research Letters last month, focused on a pair of particular earthquake sequences in the Black Rock Desert near Fillmore. One of the central Utah earthquakes occurred on September 12, 2018 and the other on April 14, 2019. The earthquakes recorded a magnitude of 4.0 and 4.1, respectively, and produced several aftershocks.

The location of the two earthquakes was the Black Rock Desert volcanic field located in central Utah between I-15 and the Utah-Nevada state line. The volcanic area last erupted about 720 years ago, resulting in the formation of basalt cones and flows by Ice Springs, according to the US Geological Survey.

In addition to the earthquakes detected by the Utah Regional Seismic Network, they were captured by temporary seismic equipment that was being used within 20 miles of the desert to monitor a geothermal well for a different project.

A team of researchers from the University of Utah, USGS and the University of Iowa set out to analyze the data. The temporary equipment detected 35 aftershocks after the 2019 earthquake, nearly double what the normal system detected.

They found that the earthquake was 1½ miles below the surface, which is shallow enough for earthquakes. For example, the 5.7 magnitude earthquake that rocked the Wasatch front last year occurred about 6 miles below the earth’s surface; the 2018 and 2019 earthquakes in central Utah were unrelated to the Magna earthquake, the largest in Utah since 1992.

A map of the Black Rock Desert Volcanic Field.  Orange triangles indicate the location of University of Utah seismographic stations, and black dots indicate the locations of earthquakes in Utah.
A map of the Black Rock Desert Volcanic Field. Orange triangles indicate the location of University of Utah seismographic stations, and black dots indicate the locations of earthquakes in Utah. (Photo: University of Utah)

Additionally, the earthquakes did not produce “shear waves,” which are common for earthquakes in Utah. The frequency of the seismic energy was also much lower than that of typical Utah earthquakes, said Maria Mesimeri, postdoctoral research associate for the University of Utah Seismograph Stations and lead author of the University of Utah on Tuesday. the study.

“Because these earthquakes were so shallow, we were able to measure the deformation of the surface (due to the earthquakes) using satellites, which is very unusual for such small earthquakes,” he said. she declared.

The data led researchers to believe that earthquakes were not caused by colliding faults like most Utah earthquakes; rather, they said their research indicated that these earthquakes were the result of continued activity in the volcanic field beneath the desert.

Mesimeri said it was likely that both earthquakes were caused by magma or heated water that came close to the surface and caused the quakes.

“Our results suggest that the system is still active and that the earthquakes were likely the result of fluid-related movement in the general area,” she said. “Earthquakes could be the result of fluid crushing through rock or the result of deformation due to movement of the fluid that has stressed the surface faults.”

The good news, she added, is that there is no reason to believe the recent earthquakes are harbingers of an impending eruption. It just means that it’s a place that researchers may want to take a closer look at.

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