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MINERSVILLE, Utah (AP) -- A minor 3.9 magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Utah early today.
The quake hit in a remote area and was unlikely to have caused any damage, said Relu Burlacu, a seismologist with the University of Utah. Burlacu said there are several faults in the area, and it was not immediately clear which one was involved.
Eight quakes of magnitude 3 or higher have occurred since 1962 within 15 miles of the epicenter of Saturday's tremor. The largest was a magnitude 4.2 quake in 1966, according to the Associated Press.
The epicenter was about 150 miles southwest of Huntington, site of the devastating Aug. 6 coal mine collapse that trapped six miners.
Coincidentally, a 3.9 magnitude seismic event occurred near Huntington on the morning of the mine collapse. The mine's co-owner, Bob Murray, believes that was a natural earthquake, but seismologists contend it was produced by the mine collapse itself.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
