17 Shallow Quakes Near Area 51, Strongest 4.4

A series of at least 17 shallow earthquakes struck the remote Nevada desert near the classified Area 51 military base over a 24-hour period ending April 30, with the strongest registering a magnitude of 4.4 at a depth of about 2.5 miles.

The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the tremors, which began with the magnitude 4.4 event on Wednesday morning, followed by multiple smaller quakes ranging from 1.5 to 3.7 in magnitude. Epicenters were located roughly 28 miles east of the base at Groom Lake, within the tectonically active Basin and Range province. More than 100 residents in nearby communities, including Rachel, Nevada, reported feeling weak shaking through the USGS "Did You Feel It?" system, but no damage or injuries occurred.

USGS research geologist Christopher DuRoss described the activity as consistent with natural tectonic processes in the region, where the Earth's crust is slowly stretching along faults. "This area is slowly stretching apart, and it's been happening for millions of years. This is just a part of that process," DuRoss said. He noted the depths aligned with typical earthquakes and classified the event as a main shock followed by aftershocks, rather than a true...