3.7 magnitude earthquake shakes up Kansas-Oklahoma border, experts say

Kansans and Oklahomans may well have felt a rumble on Tuesday as a 3.7 magnitude earthquake rattled near the border, experts say.

It was just after 4 p.m. when the temblor, centered in northern Oklahoma, hit about 15 miles south of Anthony, Kansas, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. The town of roughly 2,200 is about 10 miles north of the Oklahoma state line.

Light to moderate shaking was measured near the epicenter, while people as far east as Arkansas City — about 65 miles away — and northeast as Wichita — about 75 miles away — reported feeling the quake. They characterized the shaking as weak, the USGS says.

The area is no stranger to temblors. In the last seven days, at least 49 quakes measuring magnitude 2.5 or less rattled northern Oklahoma, according to the USGS. However, reports indicate Tuesday’s 3.7 quake was the strongest in the area in the last 30 days. The closest contender was a 3.5 magnitude near Fairview, Oklahoma, on Sept. 27, according to reports.

A 3.7 magnitude earthquake is considered to be level II-III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale, according to the USGS. Magnitude “measures the energy released at the source of the earthquake” while intensity is determined by the quake’s effect on buildings and people.

Level II intensity tends to be felt by people “at rest” or on upper floors of buildings, the USGS says. Level III is described as being “quite noticeable by persons indoors,” though others might “not recognize it as an earthquake,” likening the vibrations to that of a passing truck.

This story was originally published October 23, 2019 at 7:17 AM with the headline "3.7 magnitude earthquake shakes up Kansas-Oklahoma border, experts say."