Today, a wild day of earthquakes across the United States, including here in Idaho, caused a lot of people to look for answers. Was it a coincidence? Was it a Biblical prophecy coming true?

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To answer the first question, yes, it was likely a coincidence as related foreshocks, earthquakes, and aftershocks happen within 300 miles of each other. It would be unlikely that an earthquake in Maine would have anything to do with one in Idaho.

To answer the second question, maybe. Three of the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, say that earthquakes will be one of many signs that the end of the world is coming soon.

Speaking purely scientifically, an earthquake like the one we felt in Idaho today could easily worry residents and scientists alike. They worry that it could trigger the destructive eruption of a supervolcano at Yellowstone National Park.

On March 31, 2020, just as Idaho was beginning to feel the effects of COVID-19, a strong earthquake shook the Treasure Valley. It was a 6.5 magnitude earthquake with an epicenter 19 miles northwest of Stanley. Some people thought this was the long-anticipated earthquake that could set off the chain of events causing the Yellowstone eruption.

Seismologists said the earthquake was neither powerful or close enough to Yellowstone to cause an eruption. It's almost like shaking a bottle of soda. A little shake probably won't make it explode, but dropping it to the floor from the top shelf of the pantry might.

While Yellowstone's supervolcano is one that people get concerned about, Idaho has other volcanic sites. Hell's Half Acre and Craters of the Moon are where eruptions have happened, and scientists expect that Craters of the Moon will erupt again. The eruption would cause slow-moving lava, not an explosive eruption.

Boom? Picture by Bill Colley.
Picture by Bill Colley
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Scientists believe an earthquake will likely cause the next Idaho volcano eruption. However, today's 4.2-magnitude quake, with an epicenter near Clayton, isn't close enough to those sites or powerful enough to cause an eruption.

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