Oklahoma Geological Survey Records 16 Quakes Around OKC

Saturday morning got off to a shaky start as several small earthquakes shook some central Oklahoma cities.

Saturday, November 2nd 2013, 10:52 pm

By: News 9


Saturday morning got off to a shaky start as several small earthquakes shook some central Oklahoma cities.

News 9 first reported, four earthquakes had hit Saturday morning, but after we checked in with the Oklahoma Geological Survey they told us it was actually 16.

Researchers say Edmond had at least two Magnitude 3 earthquakes Saturday morning, and several smaller quakes shook parts of Spencer, Jones and Oklahoma City.

"We're seeing a lot more felt earthquakes, a lot more earthquakes above magnitude 3," said Austin Holland, a seismologist with the Oklahoma Geological Survey.

Saturday morning got off to a shaky start as small earthquakes shook some Central Oklahoma cities.

"It was definitely, you could feel it, it was shaking," said Edmond resident, Kirk Kinnear.

One 3.8 earthquake shook near Edmond around 4:30 a.m. A few smaller quakes shook the Spencer and Jones area around 5 a.m. and 7 a.m.

Then around 9:30 a.m. Edmond residents say they could definitely feel the 3.6 earthquake that rattled there.

11/2/2013 Related Story: Four Earthquakes Rock Central Oklahoma Early Saturday Morning

"It was more like a boom, you know it was just like a crash," Kinnear said.

Researchers say much of the activity was south of the Turner Turnpike and I-35.

"So this is certainly the largest burst of activity we have seen in this area," Holland said.

Holland with the Oklahoma Geological Survey says in the last four years, Oklahoma has been averaging about 100 magnitude-3 earthquakes every year. Holland says it's difficult to determine exactly why, but says Oklahoma has numerous fault lines and the state was once a plate boundary.

"We know why Oklahoma has earthquakes, it's responding to these large regional stresses that are much smaller than in California where you can better measure the deformation on a fault," Holland said.

Dan Hansen says he and his wife felt everything.

"It was pretty much a jolt. You know we're from California, so we're used to like really cool earthquakes, so it wasn't really that cool," Hansen said.

Researchers say although these were smaller earthquakes, as the amount increases, so does the potential to have much bigger earthquakes.

The Geological Survey says they have not received any reports of damage from Saturday's earthquakes.

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