:quality(75)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elcomercio/F3MES5TKLVCHDO2KQEIJLSWQEM.jpg "Tremor in the US today, January 24: official live report of recent earthquakes, via USGS | United States Geological Survey | MIX")
The United States is an actively seismic country due to its location near tectonic plates and numerous active fault lines, posing a potential threat to the population. According to official information from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the states that register the most earthquakes are California, Nevada, Texas, Alaska, and Hawaii.
The USGS operates an extensive network of seismographs 24/7, detecting seismic waves when the earth shakes. Through the Latest Earthquakes interactive map on its official website, the agency presents official reports of recent earthquakes in the states.
Today, Wednesday, January 24, the USGS has updated its report on the latest telluric movements felt in the North American territory.
Two main reasons why the United States experiences a high number of earthquakes are its location close to the North American Plate, which moves over the Pacific Plate, causing stress to accumulate in the Earth’s crust and the presence of more than 15,000 fault lines, capable of producing large earthquakes. The US also has a lot of soft soil, which can amplify tremors caused by earthquakes, making them feel stronger than if they occurred on hard rocks.
In light of the seismic activity in California, individuals are encouraged to have an emergency backpack prepared for earthquakes. The contents of an ideal emergency backpack may include first aid supplies, non-perishable food, water, a flashlight, batteries, personal hygiene items, a radio, and a blanket.
For live updates on earthquakes in the US today, individuals can refer to the updated and official USGS report.
As seismic activity continues to pose a risk to the population, it’s important for individuals to stay informed and prepared for such natural disasters.