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4.0 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Johnson County, Biggest Recorded In North Texas

Doualy Xaykaothao
/
KERA News
A seismic monitoring system helps SMU scientists locate earthquakes in North Texas.

North Texas has recorded another earthquake. A 4.0 magnitude quake was recorded around 6 p.m. Thursday in Johnson County.

It happened between Venus and Lillian. The epicenter was 3 miles north-northwest of Venus, 6 miles south of Mansfield and 7 miles west of Midlothian.

It’s the strongest earthquake recorded in North Texas so far – dozens of earthquakes have hit the region in recent months. A 3.6 earthquake hit Irving in January.

No injuries were reported.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports:

More than 50 earthquakes have rattled North Texas region since November 2013, most of them in western parts of Dallas but also in the Azle area. In 2009, Johnson County had five small quakes, and in 2012 there were 10 within 30 days in June and July. On Thursday, people in Arlington, Alvarado, Burleson, Cleburne, Mansfield and Dallas reported feeling the ground move.

The Dallas Morning News reports:

No surprise: The USGS confirms that’s the largest quake to strike North Texas. And, it was a shallow temblor, occurring about two miles deep. The most recent quake reported in that part of Johnson County was a 3.4M in November. Dallas and Irving haven’t experience a quake larger than 3.6M, which occurred during a day of shaking in early January.  

North Texas has seen earlier earthquakes with magnitudes of at least 3.0. In 2013, two 3.6-magnitude quakes rattled Azle and two 3.7 quakes hit Mineral Wells, Southern Methodist University earthquake researchers say.

The largest earthquake in Texas?

The USGS says the largest earthquake recorded in Texas was near the town of Valentine in southwest Texas in 1931 -- it was 5.8 in magnitude. 

Eric Aasen is KERA’s managing editor. He helps lead the station's news department, including radio and digital reporters, producers and newscasters. He also oversees keranews.org, the station’s news website, and manages the station's digital news projects. He reports and writes stories for the website and contributes pieces to KERA radio. He's discussed breaking news live on various public radio programs, including The Takeaway, Here & Now and Texas Standard, as well as radio and TV programs in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.