PLANETARY TREMORS: 3.7 Magnitude Earthquake Recorded Near Helena, Montana - USGS!

USGS earthquake location.

February 4, 2016 - MONTANA, UNITED STATES - A 3.7 magnitude earthquake was recorded near Helena early Thursday morning, according to an initial report from the U.S. Geological Survey.

The quake was centered six miles south of Helena at 12:47 a.m.

An earthquake of that size could be felt quite noticeably by people indoors, according to the USGS.

Clancy, mt - Shook the knobs on dresser Helena - Windows were rattling, woke me up. Clancy - happened about 1am local time, thought it was the wind or somebody in the house jumping, enough to wake up the wife Clancy - Violent rattling of windows that woke us up at 12:46 AM, house shaking and creaking. Clancy - About 12:35am and woke up from sleep due to shaking and our huskies howling, felt several aftershocks too. We live at the end of Halford Rd up Lump Gulch in Clancy, Mt Clancy - It woke me just around 1:00 am. Felt very similar to the last one. I had to get out of bed to see if something fell over or a person was in my house.

Thursday's quake came on the heels of a 4.3 magnitude earthquake centered 12 miles east of Lincoln at 12:31 p.m. Saturday, according to an updated USGS report.

USGS shakemap intensity.

An online search of USGS archives did not show any earthquakes with a magnitude of greater than 3.4 within 40 miles of Helena in all of 2015. - IR.

Seismicity of Yellowstone

Earthquake epicenters in Yellowstone reveal a pattern of intense seismicity related to faults and volcanic features. Plotted here are Yellowstone's 1973-1996 earthquakes on digital topography showing their relation of epicenters to faults and post-caldera (post 631,000 year old) volcanic vents.

Intense swarms of shallow earthquakes and occasional moderate-sized earthquakes as large as the MS = 6.1 earthquake in 1975 near Norris Junction, characterize the seismicity of Yellowstone. Norris also has the highest temperature hydrothemal system in the park. The geophysical evidence suggests that earthquakes of Yellowstone are influenced by the presence of magmas, partial melts, and hydrothermal activity at crustal depths from near surface to depths of ~5 km. Earthquakes occur on faults that form boundaries of small upper-crustal blocks and reflect a combination of deformation caused by local transport of magma and hydrothermal fluids as well as by the regional northeast extension superimposed from the Basin-Range tectonic stress field.

USGS earthquake historic seismicity.

Earthquakes reveal a pattern of seismicity over the Yellowstone-Hebgen Lake region that extends into the Yellowstone caldera along northwesting trending clusters of epicenters. Earthquakes extend ~25 km from Hebgen Lake, Montana, along an east-west trend into Yellowstone National Park where they take on a northwest trend along distinct seismic zones about 25 km long that cross the caldera boundary. Within the caldera, earthquakes have not exceeded magnitude MS = 5.0 and generally have scattered epicenters; in the western part of the caldera, northwest-trending clusters of epicenters, together with aligned volcanic vents, may be related to buried, but still active, Quaternary faults. In several cases, there are good correlations between earthquake swarms and major changes in hydrothermal activity. Local faulting along the west side of Yellowstone Lake has Holocene displacements and appears to be seismically active.

Parts of the Gallatin and Teton normal fault systems, which generally have a northerly trends outside the Yellowstone region, presumably lie beneath the area now covered by the Quaternary volcanics of the Yellowstone Plateau. A broader view of Yellowstone seismicity and that of Teton region is shown here.

Focal depths of earthquakes in Yellowstone reveal notable variations across the caldera that are related to variations in heat flux and rock composition.

Earthquake historic seismicity. University of Utah.

Maximum focal depths outside the caldera are generally less than 15 to 20 km, and mostly less than 5 km beneath the inner caldera. This pattern of earthquake- shallowing suggests a thin seismogenic brittle upper crust beneath the thermally active inner caldera. Rheologic models imply that below about 5 km, the crust is in a quasi-plastic, ductile state at temperatures in excess of 350°C - incapable of supporting large stresses. Note that the MS = 6.1 earthquake in 1975 occurred along the caldera's northwest boundary. On a regional scale, earthquakes are most intense on the west side of Yellowstone National Park. The most seismically active area is associated with the 1959, MS = 7.5, Hebgen Lake main shock that occurred within about 30 km of the northwestern side of the Yellowstone caldera. This large earthquake may have resulted from unusual lithospheric uplift and viscoelastic relaxation associated with the Yellowstone hotspot.

Along the northwest side of the eastern Snake River Plain, earthquakes have a notable northwest alignment of epicenters in central Idaho, which is aftershock activity of the 1983, MS = 7.3, Borah Peak earthquake on the Lost River fault. This pattern contrasts with the scatter of what we have called background seismicity elsewhere in the central ISB. The "turning on" of earthquakes on the Lost River fault emphasizes the relative seismic quiescence of the neighboring Lemhi and Beaverhead faults to the northeast. All three faults are part of a domain of active, latest Quaternary basin-range normal faulting northwest of the SRP. Hence, the paucity of earthquakes between the Lost River fault and the Idaho-Montana border marks an important seismic gap in the central ISB. Seismic surveillance by the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory reveals few earthquakes within the Snake River Plain itself. The lack of earthquakes is thought to be related to increased crustal strength resisting earthquakes, to high temperatures that inhibit earthquakes, or to complex stresses related to the Yellowstone hotspot. - The Yellowstone-Teton Epicenter.

Seismicity of Yellowstone.

Earthquake epicenters in Yellowstone reveal a pattern of intense seismicity related to faults and volcanic features. Plotted here are Yellowstone's 1973-1996 earthquakes on digital topography showing their relation of epicenters to faults and post-caldera (post 631,000 year old) volcanic vents.

Intense swarms of shallow earthquakes and occasional moderate-sized earthquakes as large as the MS = 6.1 earthquake in 1975 near Norris Junction, characterize the seismicity of Yellowstone. Norris also has the highest temperature hydrothemal system in the park. The geophysical evidence suggests that earthquakes of Yellowstone are influenced by the presence of magmas, partial melts, and hydrothermal activity at crustal depths from near surface to depths of ~5 km. Earthquakes occur on faults that form boundaries of small upper-crustal blocks and reflect a combination of deformation caused by local transport of magma and hydrothermal fluids as well as by the regional northeast extension superimposed from the Basin-Range tectonic stress field.

USGS earthquake historic seismicity.

Earthquakes reveal a pattern of seismicity over the Yellowstone-Hebgen Lake region that extends into the Yellowstone caldera along northwesting trending clusters of epicenters. Earthquakes extend ~25 km from Hebgen Lake, Montana, along an east-west trend into Yellowstone National Park where they take on a northwest trend along distinct seismic zones about 25 km long that cross the caldera boundary. Within the caldera, earthquakes have not exceeded magnitude MS = 5.0 and generally have scattered epicenters; in the western part of the caldera, northwest-trending clusters of epicenters, together with aligned volcanic vents, may be related to buried, but still active, Quaternary faults. In several cases, there are good correlations between earthquake swarms and major changes in hydrothermal activity. Local faulting along the west side of Yellowstone Lake has Holocene displacements and appears to be seismically active.

Parts of the Gallatin and Teton normal fault systems, which generally have a northerly trends outside the Yellowstone region, presumably lie beneath the area now covered by the Quaternary volcanics of the Yellowstone Plateau. A broader view of Yellowstone seismicity and that of Teton region is shown here.

Focal depths of earthquakes in Yellowstone reveal notable variations across the caldera that are related to variations in heat flux and rock composition.

Earthquake historic seismicity. University of Utah.

Maximum focal depths outside the caldera are generally less than 15 to 20 km, and mostly less than 5 km beneath the inner caldera. This pattern of earthquake- shallowing suggests a thin seismogenic brittle upper crust beneath the thermally active inner caldera. Rheologic models imply that below about 5 km, the crust is in a quasi-plastic, ductile state at temperatures in excess of 350°C - incapable of supporting large stresses. Note that the MS = 6.1 earthquake in 1975 occurred along the caldera's northwest boundary. On a regional scale, earthquakes are most intense on the west side of Yellowstone National Park. The most seismically active area is associated with the 1959, MS = 7.5, Hebgen Lake main shock that occurred within about 30 km of the northwestern side of the Yellowstone caldera. This large earthquake may have resulted from unusual lithospheric uplift and viscoelastic relaxation associated with the Yellowstone hotspot.

Along the northwest side of the eastern Snake River Plain, earthquakes have a notable northwest alignment of epicenters in central Idaho, which is aftershock activity of the 1983, MS = 7.3, Borah Peak earthquake on the Lost River fault. This pattern contrasts with the scatter of what we have called background seismicity elsewhere in the central ISB. The "turning on" of earthquakes on the Lost River fault emphasizes the relative seismic quiescence of the neighboring Lemhi and Beaverhead faults to the northeast. All three faults are part of a domain of active, latest Quaternary basin-range normal faulting northwest of the SRP. Hence, the paucity of earthquakes between the Lost River fault and the Idaho-Montana border marks an important seismic gap in the central ISB. Seismic surveillance by the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory reveals few earthquakes within the Snake River Plain itself. The lack of earthquakes is thought to be related to increased crustal strength resisting earthquakes, to high temperatures that inhibit earthquakes, or to complex stresses related to the Yellowstone hotspot. - The Yellowstone-Teton Epicenter. - See more at: http://thecelestialconvergence.blogspot.com/2013/03/planetary-tremors-32-magnitude.html#sthash.5tKgK5Mw.dpuf

ICE AGE NOW: Arctic Blast Ahead - Montana Sees An Incredible 40-Degree Temperature Drop In Just TWO HOURS?!

November 20, 2013 - UNITED STATES -  A new blast of Arctic air that will engulf the central and eastern states through the weekend made an impressive initial appearance in Montana on Tuesday.

Tuesday's Temperatures

Thermometers in the northern Montana city of Great Falls recorded an incredible temperature drop of nearly 40 degrees in just two hours.

At 3:53 p.m., the temperature was 52 degrees, about 11 degrees above the average high for the day.

During the next hour, the Arctic cold front pushed through and dropped the temperature to 19 degrees by 4:53 p.m. At 5:53 p.m., it was a frigid 13 degrees, completing the near 40-degree drop in two hours.

Residents of the city woke up to a low of 8 degrees Wednesday morning. While very cold, it was well short of the record low of -19 set in 1900.

Sunday's Highs

As mentioned earlier, this arctic air that made an initial appearance in Montana on Tuesday is set to spread south and east the next few days.

Thursday, the Front Range of the Rockies and the northern Plains will see well below-average temperatures.

By Saturday and Sunday, the colder-than-average temperatures will engulf the central and eastern states from Chicago and New York to Atlanta and Dallas. - Wunderground.

EXTREME WEATHER: Winter Storm Brutus Breaks Snowfall Record in Helena, Montana - 8.8 Inches of Snow, Highest Since 1903!

November 13, 2012 - UNITED STATES - Helena crushed a snowfall record Thursday, and was on the way to doing the same Friday as winter storm Brutus brutalized the town. Helena saw 8.8 inches of snow Thursday. The previous snowfall record for Nov. 8 was 2.3 inches, set in 1903. Zach Uttech, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Great Falls, said the south-west flowing air mass from Canada has created an ideal scenario for widespread snow over the region, blanketing Montana with an abundance of snow.

Maintenance crews work to remove snow from Nelson Stadium Friday for Carroll College's final game of the
season Saturday against Dickerson State. In the last 48 hours the Helena area has received about 12 inches
of snow, which made for intense work to clear the stands and field.

Total snow accumulation could hit nearly 14 inches in downtown Helena, which would put Thursday and Friday among the top for highest snowfall in a two-day period for the month of November, Uttech said. As of noon on Friday, the two-day total was 12.6 inches. Higher elevations should see an additional 5-10 inches, he added. The City of Helena said they will be plowing and sanding the streets throughout the weekend. If it's possible, they are requesting residents to remove their vehicles from the streets to allow snow plows clear access. Emergency Snow Routes, arterial and collector roads will be cleared first, and then, as time allows, residential areas. The snow has been so plentiful that Kevin Taylor, owner of Great Divide Ski Area, is opening the Good Luck Chair from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Tickets will be $20. "The snow started at 8 a.m. (Thursday)," Taylor said Friday. "We now have about 20 inches on the ground and it's still snowing, 1,100-foot visibility right now. No wind, that's just snow. It's as good as you could hope for. It's a fabulous start." Bruce Parker, athletic director at Carroll College, said Saturday's game against Dickenson State is a go-ahead. "First of all, this isn't our first snow game and people here really put the jets on to get on board." Even though Carroll College has experience with winter games, Parker said this storm has been especially difficult getting the field ready because the snow was wet and heavy. "We have probably 40 people on the ground preparing the stadium and the stands," he said. "The track team and student work force are clearing out the stands, so people will be comfortable." He said there were also three machines being used Friday to move snow.

The storm has thrown a wrench in other sports teams' as well. The Rocky Mountain College and MSU Northern football game has been moved from Herb Klindt Field, which was scheduled for a noon kickoff, to Daylis Stadium at 6 p.m. "It didn't make any sense to put anyone at risk with this weather, so we'd rather MSU Northern arrive safely to play," Robert Beers, Rocky Mountain College athletic director, said in a press release. The Class AA football playoff game between Great Falls C.M. Russell High School and Butte High has also been rescheduled. They will play Saturday at 1 p.m in Butte at Naranche Stadium. Montana High School Association reported the rescheduling occurred because the Montana Department of Transportation had issued a severe driving conditions warning on Interstate 15 between Great Falls and Wolf Creek. As of 4 p.m. Friday, Montana Highway Patrol reported 46 wrecks across the whole state, including four jack-knifed semitrailers. According to NWS on Friday, the snowfall should start tapering off in the evening, slowing down to scattered showers Saturday. "The main thing now is preparing for the cold temperatures," Uttech said. "After the wind dies down, Helena could get into the single digits Saturday." He also said Saturday night will probably dip below zero with a 15 to 20 below zero wind chill. Uttech said Sunday and Monday should be sunny, which would help clear off the roads and sidewalks. But he did emphasize that the melted water will probably refreeze after sundown, making things slippery. The temperatures over the next week or so should stay low, primarily because as Uttech explained it, "When we get this much snow on the ground, it's hard to warm up." - Helenair.

PLANETARY TREMORS: Montana Quake Felt Hundreds of Miles Away!

Friday morning's magnitude 3.3 earthquake that struck western Montana has a lot of people talking.

We've received several emails and folks also commented about the small trembler on our Facebook page talking about the relatively unusual event. The quake hit at 10:51 a.m., 13 miles southeast of Clinton, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The size of the quake is considered small and the U.S.G.S. says these types of earth movements are "often felt, but rarely causes damage."  Nonetheless, the U.S.G.S. website is reporting that the quake was felt nearly 200 miles away in Great Falls. It was felt across most of western Montana, from Thompson Falls to Corvallis.

An email we received just after the trembler from Phyllis Ruana in Corvallis said that "the items on my dresser and my bed started to shake. Everything was quivering." Some folks reported feeling the ground shake for a few seconds and seeing windows rattle in Missoula. So far, there have not been any reports of damage. KPAX in Missoula received reports from people in Arlee, Butte, East Missoula, Philipsburg and Polson who felt the ground move. This is the second earthquake to rattle the Upper Clark Fork Valley in recent months. A magnitude 2.8 quake hit between Bonner and Clinton in August. - KXFL.

Meanwhile, according to the USGS, the earthquake that rumbled across western Montana on Friday morning is bigger than first thought.

The U.S. Geological Survey initially reported that the quake that hit 13 miles southeast of Clinton at 10:51 a.m. was a 3.3. quake, but now report on their website that it was actually a magnitude 4.2 quake.

The shaking was felt nearly 200 miles away in Great Falls and Montana's News Station has received reports of people feeling the quake all across western Montana. Some reported seeing windows shake and floors vibrating for a few seconds during the quake.

Mike Stickney with the Earthquake Studies Office at the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology in Butte tells us that the quake was felt from Helena to Thompson Falls and from Polson to Darby. Stickney adds it's similar to a 2000 quake that hit in the same area. There are no reports of injuries or damage at this point. - KRTV.