© USGS
The U.S. Geological Survey reports a quake with a magnitude of 3.1 was detected Tuesday at 4:25 a.m. in rugged, mountainous terrain 29 miles west of Salmon near the former mining town of Cobalt.
The quake was first detected by staff at the Earthquake Studies Office at the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology. Director Mike Stickney says a 3.1 magnitude is barely enough to cause people to notice and it's not likely the tremor caused any serious damage to the landscape.
Stickney says it's not uncommon for small quakes to jolt the vast, mountainous backcountry north of Salmon and Challis.
USGS data here.
Dozens of small seismic events such as this occur every day. Why is this one significant?