4.2-magnitude earthquake rattles area near Yellowstone National Park, geologists say

A 4.2-magnitude earthquake shook Wyoming, geologists said.

The earthquake shook the area between Yellowstone National Park and Shoshone National Forest on Wednesday, May 11, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

It rattled the area at about 7:30 a.m. Mountain Time. The earthquake was reported to be nearly 9 miles deep, according to USGS.

Magnitude measures the energy released at the source of the earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey says. It replaces the old Richter scale.

Quakes between 2.5 and 5.4 magnitude are often felt but rarely cause much damage, according to Michigan Tech. Quakes below 2.5 magnitude are seldom felt by most people.

Earthquakes in Yellowstone aren’t typically anything to worry about, experts said.

“Yellowstone is one of the most seismically active areas in the United States,” the National Park Service reported. “Approximately 700 to 3,000 earthquakes occur each year in the Yellowstone area; most are not felt.”

The national park is rattled by so many earthquakes because it sits on an “extensive network of faults” due to the volcano and other features. The earthquakes often come in swarms because of volcanic fluids moving under the surface.

Some people, however, still worry earthquakes in Yellowstone are a sign that the “supervolcano” that lies beneath the park will soon erupt, which could have regional and global consequences.

“Such a giant eruption would have regional effects such as falling ash and short-term (years to decades) changes to global climate,” USGS said on its website. “Those parts of the surrounding states of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming that are closest to Yellowstone would be affected by pyroclastic flows, while other places in the United States would be impacted by falling ash.”

Geologists don’t think an eruption at Yellowstone is likely for thousands of years. Even after the May 11 earthquake, the alert level at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory is green, which is normal.