Nevada has experienced an uptick in seismic activity over the last 24 hours.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) detected seven earthquakes, with the largest measuring a 4.8 magnitude, that hit at 7:16am ET near Caliente.
The other tremors, starting Thursday and continuing into Friday, ranged from 1.1 magnitude to 3.3 magnitude.
The 4.8 magnitude is the latest earthquake to hit, with shaking detected as far south as Las Vegas, which sits more than 150 miles south.
It was likely caused by tectonic activity along one of the many fault systems in the Basin and Range Province, a region known for stretching and thinning of the Earth’s crust.
The USGS detect a 3.3 magnitude earthquake Thursday about 14 miles northeast of Nellis Air Force Base, located about 145 miles south of Caliente. This was followed by two smaller tremors just minutes later.
Nellis Air Force Base tested US nuclear weapons above ground during the 1950s and 1960s, but testing moved underground until all operations ceased in 1992.
Nevada is the nation’s third-most seismically active state, ranking behind only California and Alaska.
This is a developing story… More updates to come
The 4.8 magnitude is the latest earthquake to hit, with shaking detected as far south as Las Vegas (pictured), which sits more than 150 miles south
Caliente is a city in eastern Nevada, which is home to just nearly 1,000 people.
While not as famous as faults in California, eastern Nevada has dozens of mapped and unmapped faults.
The seismic activity near Caliente could also be linked to the Meadow Valley Fault Zone that is part of the Basin and Range Province, which is also where Thursday’s largest quake, the 3.3 magnitude, struck.
The earthquake near Nellis occurred along the California Wash Fault, which is capable of producing a powerful earthquake of up to magnitude 6.5.
The most recent major tremor, a magnitude 6.3, occurred in 1943 near Caliente. Due to the remote location, no significant damage was reported.
Nellis was designated as part of the Nevada Proving Grounds in 1950 and later supported the Nevada Test Site (NTS), established in 1951 for nuclear testing.
On January 27, 1951, the first atmospheric nuclear test, code-named ‘Able,’ was detonated at the NTS.
A total of 100 atmospheric tests were conducted at the site until July 1962.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) detected seven earthquakes, with the largest measuring a 4.8 magnitude, that hit at 7:16am ET near Caliente (star)
However, atmospheric testing was banned in the U.S. in August 1963, forcing all operations underground.
The US conducted 828 underground tests at the NTS, with the final test, ‘Divider,’ taking place on September 23, 1992.
The decision to cease testing came as the Cold War ended, with US officials hoping the move would encourage other nations to follow suit.
