Earthquakes
According to a reort in Arabic language daily Okaz, tremors which lasted for 16 seconds sparked panic among Taba villagers, who did not allow their children to go to school.
The National Centre for Earthquakes and Volcanoes director Hani Zahran confirmed the quake and dismissed any volcanic activity in the region of Hail, urging people not to panic.
Recently, strong earthquakes that are known to cause damage are increasing dramatically. The occurrence of damaging 4.0 or greater quakes is now seeing a dramatic uptick. Through the first 19 days of January, the state has recorded eight quakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater.
Eight quakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater is now the new state record for a single month. The previous record for quakes of this magnitude was seven occurrences in November, 2015.
Oklahoma recorded 30 earthquakes of 4.0 or greater in 2015, 15 in 2014, only 3 in 2013.
Six of the eight quakes this month have occurred in Woods County in northern Oklahoma.

An earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale hit Menyuan county of Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China's Qinghai province.
The epicenter was monitored at 37.68 degrees north latitude and 101.62 degrees east longitude, with a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).
An aftershock, measuring 3.4 on the Richter scale, was reported minutes following the initial quake.
Reports of casualties are not instantly available.
Tremors are felt in Xining, capital city of Qinghai Province, where local residents say they were waken up from sleep by the jolt.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a 3.0 magnitude earthquake occurred two miles south-southeast of Bolivar, W. Va. Sunday afternoon.
That's about 45 miles northwest of D.C.
Earthquakes that are large enough to be felt are rare in this part of the country, the USGS says.
In August 2011, a 5.8-magnitude earthquake occurred in Virginia, and the tremors were felt throughout the Baltimore-D.C. region. Several aftershocks also occurred after the main quake.
UTC time: Monday, January 18, 2016 18:24 PM
Your time: Monday, January 18 2016 6:24 PM
Magnitude Type: mwp
USGS page: M 6.0 - 171km E of Ceva-i-Ra, Fiji
USGS status: Reviewed by a seismologist
Reports from the public: 0 people
2016-01-14 03:25:28 UTC
UTC time: Thursday, January 14, 2016 03:25 AM
Your time: 2016-01-14T03:25:28Z
Magnitude Type: mww
USGS page: M 6.1 - 7km WSW of Charagua, Bolivia
USGS status: Reviewed by a seismologist
Reports from the public: 1 person
2016-01-13 12:20:39 UTC
UTC time: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 12:20 PM
Your time: 2016-01-13T12:20:39Z
Magnitude Type: mb
USGS page: M 5.0 - 91km S of Arica, Chile
USGS status: Reviewed by a seismologist
Reports from the public: 8 people
2016-01-13 05:55:59 UTC
UTC time: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 05:55 AM
Your time: 2016-01-13T05:55:59Z
Magnitude Type: mb
USGS page: M 5.8 - 149km NW of Hihifo, Tonga
Reports from the public: 0 people
Initial reports revealed the quake jolted parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Punjab, with tremors being felt in Chitral, Shangla, Gilgit, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Sahiwal and surrounding areas.
According to The United States Geological Survey, the epicenter of the earthquake was recorded in Jurm district of northeastern Badakhshan province of Afghanistan, and measured 5.6 on the richter scale.
Prelim M5.6 earthquake Hindu Kush region, Afghanistan Jan-12 20:05 UTC, updates https://t.co/u49O05xMv5
— USGS Big Quakes (@USGSBigQuakes) January 12, 20162016-01-12 12:27:28 UTC
UTC time: Tuesday, January 12, 2016 12:27 PM
Your time: 2016-01-12T12:27:28Z
Magnitude Type: mb
USGS page: M 5.1 - 240km NNW of Tobelo, Indonesia
USGS status: Reviewed by a seismologist
Reports from the public: 0 people







Comment: Other rare earthquakes in the US this year include those reported in New Jersey and Nebraska.