Northwest Yellowstone area sees earthquake swarm

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyo. – A swarm of earthquakes in the northwestern part of Yellowstone National Park this week continued into Friday and was punctuated with a magnitude 4.4 quake Thursday evening.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake occurred at 6:48 p.m., in a backcountry area of Yellowstone National Park, about 8 miles northeast of West Yellowstone, Montana. The swarm of about 30 earthquakes of magnitude 2 and larger began Monday.

The West Yellowstone Police Department says the earthquake was felt in the town that borders the park, but there were no reports of damage.

The University of Utah Seismograph Stations said the quake was part of “an energetic sequence” of about 30 earthquakes magnitude 2 and larger in the area. Thursday’s quake was the largest to occur in Yellowstone since a 4.8 magnitude quake in March 2014.

Earthquakes occur frequently in and around Yellowstone.

In 1959, the Hebgen Lake earthquake near Yellowstone in Montana killed 28 people.