Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake in Sweden today!
By Denise
@petatonicsca (7070)
Japan
May 18, 2020 6:15am CST
All right, there was also a 5.1 in Japan, but nobody is worried about that because it is very normal. Nearly every week we have one or two at least. There was also a 5.5 off the coast of Oregon/California. Again, plate boundary, not too surprising. There was a 5.0 in the Kermedec Islands north of New Zealand... again, a near daily occurrence. It's on a plate boundary. In fact, on average there are three magnitude 5 earthquakes per day in the world, according to the USGS.
But Sweden! That was a big surprise! Apparently, small quakes are not unusual, but for one to happen that is "near 5" is surprising. It happened on a fault that was formed at the retreating end of a glacier during the last Ice Age, and is probably caused by isostatic rebound, which means when a weight is removed the land gradually readjusts.
People were surprised but it, but it doesn't sound like anyone was hurt or there was damage, so that's good. It can just be an interesting occurrence.
Have you ever felt an earthquake magnitude 5 or more?
6 people like this
7 responses
@AmbiePam (93885)
• United States
18 May 20
I'm not really sure. As a child, I lived in California for a couple of years, but I was too little to remember much. I live in Oklahoma now, and in the last fifteen years or so we've been getting them. I've felt several, but I'm not sure what the magnitude of them was.
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@GreatMartin (23672)
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
18 May 20
When I lived in California in the 1950s we had a few big shakes there!
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@Lavanya15 (12888)
• Chennai, India
18 May 20
I am in Chennai hear I don't face any earthquakes in my area... It is very safe place from it.
Take care of you
2 people like this