Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.3 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5.0 earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.

Yellowstone Swarm

A swarm of more than 200 earthquakes struck Yellowstone National Park over the past two weeks. The 200 temblors began on Feb. 8 and ramped up on Feb. 15 in an area about 8 miles (13 kilometers) northeast of West Yellowstone, Montana, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). In reality, many more tiny quakes hit the region but were simply too small for seismometers to pick them up, according to the USGS.

These swarms occur when stress levels shift along smaller faults in an earthquake region, according to the USGS. Swarms typically have two ultimate causes: shifting at major tectonic plates; or movements of water, gas or magma under the surface.