Magnitude 3.0 earthquake near Burr Oak

United States Geological Survey (USGS), recorded a magnitude 3.0 earthquake at 11:37 p.m. Friday approximately 2 miles west of Burr Oak.

According to the USGS website, the quake was centered 8.7 miles northwest of Mankato 39.864 degrees north latitude and 98.350 degrees west longitude. The detected depth was approximately 3.1 miles underground.

These small earthquakes are interesting when you consider Kansas is far from the primary fault lines of the North American tectonic plate. In fact, the western most fault line stretches from Alaska to Mexico, closely skirting the U.S. and Mexican western borders. The eastern fault line extends well into the Atlantic Ocean.

1 “Most earthquakes occur at the boundaries where the plates meet. In fact, the locations of earthquakes and the kinds of ruptures they produce help scientists define the plate boundaries.” According to the USGS, less than 10 percent of all earthquakes occur within plate interiors.

If you have a personal account of this or another small Kansas quake, feel to share your story with the Jewell County Newspaper.

1 ‘Earthquakes - General Interest Publication’ [accessed 10 February 2020].