University of Utah Seismograph Stations detected an “earthquake swarm” beneath the popular Yellowstone National Park in the northern area of Yellowstone Lake.

As of March 29 at 11:30 AM, 60 earthquakes were recorded in the area within just over 12 hours, ranging in magnitudes from -0.1 to 3.7. While earthquakes that fall in this magnitude range rarely cause damage, the cluster of quakes is what makes this event noteworthy.

According to the university, earthquake sequences of this nature are relatively common in the Yellowstone area, accounting for roughly 50 percent of seismicity in the region. Of the 60 earthquakes in this swarm, two were above 3.0 magnitude on the Richter scale.

Dating back to 1962, 44 earthquakes with a 3.0 magnitude or higher have taken place within 16 miles of the strongest earthquake in this swarm, which took place at 8:24 AM on March 29. Extend that range to 32 miles and the strongest quake was one that reached a magnitude of 4.8 in March of 2014. Once earthquakes start to approach a magnitude of 5.0, they can break windows and dishes.

Yellowstone is known to be an active place in terms of earthquakes, with between 1,500 to 2,500 taking place in the region each year. Since 1973, 48,000 earthquakes have been recorded in the Yellowstone region, 99 percent of which had a magnitude of 2.0 or lower. Most swarms contain 10 to 20 earthquakes, though the largest swarms may contain 1,000s of quakes and can last for months, according to the USGS.

When ‘earthquake swarms’ take place, they are mostly the result of interactions between groundwater and existing faults.

STAY INFORMED: Get free Colorado news with our daily newsletter (Click here)