Shortly after midnight last night, a 5.8 earthquake shook the area of Great Falls, Montana.
At approximately 12:29 a.m., residents of Great Falls reported what seemed to be a brief shake, with a rumble that followed eight minutes later.
The U.S. Geological Survey later reported that the earthquake registered as a 5.8 on the Richter scale, and was centered about 8.85 km southeast of Lincoln, MT., at a depth of about 4.2 km.
There were also several reports from residents in the Elk Valley who also felt the rumble.
Montana is located on the Intermountain Seismic Belt, an active earthquake region stretching along the rocky mountains. Montana is the fourth-most seismically active state.
The Elk Valley resides on the Rocky Mountain Tench Fault, which carries on down into Montana.
According to Bruce Presgrave, a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) geophysicist, a 5.5 magnitude earthquake can be felt as far as 500 km away. Therefore it’s no wonder why it reached Fernie, approximately 345.2 km southeast of our position.
Many residents in Lethbridge also reported feeling a rumble shortly after 12:20 a.m.
This 5.8 earthquake is the largest to happen in Montana in over 12 years. The last major quake occurred near Dillon, MT in 2005, and was measured as a 5.6 on the Richter scale.
