Las Vegas rocked by several earthquakes in sensitive zone in 24 hours

Las Vegas has experienced a spike in seismic activity over the past 24 hours, with at least seven earthquakes recorded in the region.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the strongest quake had a magnitude of 4.8 and struck near the town of Caliente. The remaining tremors ranged in magnitude from 1.1 to 3.3.

The 4.8-magnitude quake occurred in the Basin and Range Province, a geologically sensitive area home to an extensive fault system.

While Nevada isn’t widely known for seismic activity, the state contains dozens of undocumented or poorly mapped faults.

The last significant earthquake in the area was recorded in 1943, when a 6.3-magnitude tremor near Caliente shook the region.

According to the website ShakeOut, Nevada experiences thousands of microearthquakes each year.

“Earthquakes in Western Nevada are caused by the extension that is pulling Nevada apart, along with wrenching created as the Sierra Nevada is pulled north due to movement between the Pacific and North American tectonic plates,” the site explains.

(QG - Source: The Daily Mail - Picture : © Unsplash)