January 30, 1996

CATARACT CREEK FAULT SYSTEM

 

An earthquake of magnitude 2.4 on the Richter Scale occurred in the Valle area yesterday, January 29, 1996. It occurred at 10:00am yesterday morning. The earthquake was preceded by a foreshock of magnitude 1.8 on the Richter Scale nine hours earlier.

The data for yesterday morning's earthquakes are as follows:

Both of these earthquakes occurred approximately 35 miles northwest of Flagstaff, about 10 miles northwest of Kendrick Peak.

Yesterday's magnitude 2.4 earthquake was felt in Valle, AZ.

The recent earthquakes occurred within the Cataract Creek Fault System. An earthquake sequence in September 1994, including magnitudes 2.6 and 3.0 events, occurred in approximately the same area as yesterday's events. A sequence of earthquakes also occurred in April 1993. Two notable earthquakes in the latter sequence registered magnitudes 4.9 and 5.4. Both of these events were widely felt through out northern Arizona.