At about 10:45 a.m. on Thursday, November 21, a magnitude 2.9 earthquake hit a few miles east of Fredonia, Ariz. Reports from the area indicate a quake strong enough to knock objects off of shelves and disturb standing furniture; no injuries or major property damage have yet been reported to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
Left to right, maps via USGS:
The quake in Fredonia (blue) along with other nearby seismic events in the last 30 days.
The southern Utah/northern Ariz. area, and reported seismic activity in the last year.
Per the USGS, reports of the quake were coming in from as far north as the Orderville area. The quake was relatively shallow for its magnitude, around 19.4 kilometers, and reports were too few to measure out the USGS’ regular “Did You Feel It” area map.
The USGS tectonic summary indicates earthquakes of this size are expected in the southern Utah/northern Coconino area; this is the second earthquake of noticeable magnitude reported in the Fredonia area in the last thirty days, and the 33rd quake of magnitude two or greater in the wider region this year. Of those 33, two were of three or greater magnitude, and one - near Brian Head, Utah, on July 28 - was of four or greater magnitude.
