Seismic Events Highlight Challenges in Earthquake Detection and Response
An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.9 struck near Toyah, Texas, in Reeves County at 10:23 p.m. Mountain Time on Friday, February 14, 2025, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The tremor was felt across the Borderland region, including El Paso, Las Cruces, La Mesa, and Alamogordo. Aftershocks were detected within five minutes of the initial quake. Reeves County is approximately 200 miles east of El Paso, and the shaking was notably felt at the KTSM studio and newsroom in West El Paso. The National Weather Service in El Paso confirmed the earthquake’s magnitude and location, citing the USGS. Despite numerous reports of shaking, there were no immediate reports of damage or power outages in the area.
In a separate incident, a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Ethiopia near Metahāra at 11:28 p.m. East Africa Time on the same day. The USGS reported the quake’s epicenter about 4 miles northeast of Metahāra, with shaking intensity categorized as “light” or greater in the affected area. Seismologists are reviewing data and may revise the magnitude or shake-severity map as more information becomes available. Aftershocks are expected, though none have been reported yet.
Meanwhile, Google temporarily disabled its Android-based earthquake detection system in Brazil after a false alarm triggered emergency alerts for a nonexistent 5.5-magnitude earthquake in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The alerts, sent around 2 a.m. on February 14, were based on signals detected near the coast of São Paulo. Google apologized for the inconvenience and is investigating the incident. The system, which uses accelerometers in Android devices, was launched in 2020 and has since expanded globally.
These seismic events highlight the ongoing challenges in earthquake detection and response, as well as the importance of accurate early warning systems to mitigate public concern and ensure safety.
Earthquake felt in El Paso, elsewhere in Borderland late Friday night
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — An earthquake could be felt in El Paso a little after 10 p.m. Friday night, Feb. 14. According to the U.S. Geological Survey,
www.ktsm.com
Google’s Android-based earthquake detector had a false alarm
Google is shutting the feature off in Brazil for now.
www.theverge.com
Map: 6.0-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Ethiopia
View the location of the quake’s epicenter and shake area.
www.nytimes.com
Maps: Small Earthquakes Shake San Francisco Bay Area
View the location of the quake’s epicenter and shake areas.
www.nytimes.com
At least 4 earthquakes strike near Hayward, USGS says
Did you feel them? At least four earthquakes, ranging from preliminary magnitudes 2.7 to 3.7, struck near Hayward on Thursday, according to the U.S. G
abc7news.com
Earthquake island: How 10,000 tremors in two weeks left Santorini deserted
Usually teeming with tourists, incessant earthquakes have seen the Greek island of Santorini deserted by the majority of its residents
www.independent.co.uk
Nonstop Quakes Leave a Tourist Island Empty and Its Residents on Edge
Thousands of tremors, sometimes every few minutes, have shaken Santorini, Greece. More than 13,000 of its 15,500 inhabitants have left.
www.nytimes.com
Magnitude 4.3 earthquake strikes Fresno County, USGS says
Did you feel it? A magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck between Coalinga and Avenal on Thursday just after 4 p.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
abc30.com
Magnitude 6.0 earthquake strikes Ethiopia, monitoring agencies say
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck central Ethiopia on Friday, multiple earthquake monitoring agencies said.
www.reuters.com