4.2 Magnitude Earthquake Rattles Michigan
According to CBS Detroit, the United States Geological Survey has confirmed that a 4.2 magnitude earthquake struck nine miles southeast of Kalamazoo, Michigan at around 12:25 p.m. today. No injuries or damage have been reported.
Michigan’s most powerful earthquake on record occurred in 1947, when a 4.6 magnitude quake shook an area close to today’s activity.
Last week, the USGS released a report acknowledging that fracking-related wastewater disposal was likely responsible for the dramatic increase in seismic activity in the central and eastern U.S. Between 1973 and 2008, the region averaged 21 earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater a year. In 2014 alone, 659 such earthquakes were recorded.
[Image via USGS]