4.2 Magnitude Earthquake Reported In US

A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was reported in Montana on Thursday (January 29), according to the United States Geological Survey.

The earthquake was recorded at 12:41 p.m. local time and centered at eight kilometers (about five miles) northeast of Black Eagle at a depth of 22.5 kilometers (about 14 miles). The USGS said it received 791 reports of people having felt the earthquake at the time of publication on Thursday.

The earthquake was reported to have struck near Malmstrom Air Force Base, which is the location of a massive network of intercontinental ballistic missile silos spread throughout the state of Montana, according to the Daily Mail. The 4.2-magnitude earthquake was only the second reported in Black Eagle during the past 365 days and the largest of the two, according to EarthquakeTrack.com.

The state of Montana is reported to have had two earthquake measuring 1.5-magnitude or greater in the past 24 hours; nine in the past seven days; 34 in the last 30 days; and 527 in past 365 days, according to EarthquakeTrack.com. Earthquakes measured between 2.5 and 5.4 magnitude can be felt by a large population, however, rarely results in much damage, according to Michigan Tech via the Sacramento Bee.

An estimated 500,000 detectable earthquakes are reported worldwide annually, however, around 100,000 are felt and only 100 typically result in serious damage. Officials strongly advise that anyone caught in an earthquake should drop, cover and hold on, according to the Sacramento Bee.