Earthquakes in Arizona: Here's what to know as temblor was felt by some

PHOENIX - People might be forgiven for thinking of earthquakes as a California thing, but at times, people in the Grand Canyon State can literally feel the earth move under their feet.

The latest incident happened on June 5, when a 4.6 magnitude earthquake that centered in Mexicali, in Mexico's Baja California state, may have been felt by people in the Yuma area. This followed a similar incident on May 12.

Here's what to know about earthquakes in Arizona.

What causes earthquakes?

The United States Geological Survey states that earthquakes are caused by a sudden slip on a fault, which they define as a fracture along which the blocks of crust on either side have moved relative to one another parallel to the fracture.

"The tectonic plates are always slowly moving, but they get stuck at their edges due to friction. When the stress on the edge overcomes the friction, there is an earthquake that releases energy in waves that travel through the earth's crust and cause the shaking that we feel," read a portion of USGS's website.

How many earthquakes happen on a daily basis?

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) states that there are about 55 earthquakes a day around the world, translating to 20,000 a year.

"Fortunately, most are too weak to cause damage, but stronger quakes, depending on location and other factors, can cause casualties, injuries, and property damage," the website states.

What about Arizona? Do we get quakes from within our state?

 

The Arizona Geological Survey's website states that every year, hundreds of unfelt earthquakes, along with several felt ones, happen in Arizona.

"The majority of Arizona’s earthquake activity occurs in the northern part of Arizona, although there are areas such as the southeastern (Safford, Duncan, Tucson), southwestern (Yuma) and central mountain region (Prescott, Mayer, Holbrook) of the state that experience significant earthquake activity," the website states.

Emergency officials in Maricopa County say while earthquakes do happen within the county, they are rare.

Have there been big earthquakes that affected Arizona?

The Arizona Geological Survey listed a number of earthquakes in the state's history that were widely felt. One earthquake, which happened near the Arizona–Mexico Border south of Douglas in 1887, resulted in the deaths of nearly 60 people.

Meanwhile, three earthquakes ranging in magnitude from 6.0 to 6.2, happened in the Flagstaff area in 1906, 1910, and 1912.

"These events were widely felt throughout northern Arizona," the website states.

What should I do when there's an earthquake?

A seismograph (Photo by Muhammad Fauzy/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Emergency officials in Maricopa County offered a number of tips for people to follow during earthquakes.

For people who are indoors when an earthquake strikes, they should not try to go outside. Instead, they should drop to the floor, take cover under a study desk or table, or cover their head and neck with their arms, next to an interior wall and away from windows, and stay there until the shaking stops.

For those who are outdoors, they should not try to go inside.

"Stay away from buildings, trees, utility wires, and gas lines. Drop to the ground. Cover your head and neck with your arms. Stay there until the shaking stops," read a portion of the brochure.