US city rocked by back-to-back earthquakes amid growing fears ancient fault is reawakening

New Mexico was rocked by back-to-back earthquakes just five minutes apart.

The US Geological Survey reported a 3.6 and 3.1 magnitude quakes beginning at 12:24pm local, with the epicenter less than 10 miles south of Eunice. 

The region sits on top of the Alamogordo fault that formed around 30 million years ago.

This ancient fault is part of the Rio Grande Rift, a 600-mile long geological feature stretching from southern Colorado to north Mexico, which is actively widening up to two millimeters a year and causing earthquakes. 

It is unknown if the Rio Grande Rift triggered Thursday’s earthquakes.

Eunice is also located in the heart of the Permian Basin, an area experiencing a significant oil and gas boom, including fracking.

Fracking is carried out by blasting large quantities of water, chemicals, and sand into rock formations to crack them open and release the fuels trapped inside.

Fracking is not usually the direct cause of an earthquake, but the process of disposing wastewater produced through fracking that can trigger tremors.

This is a developing story… More updates to come. 

New Mexico was rocked by back-to-back earthquakes just five minutes apart. The US Geological Survey reported a 3.6 and 3.1 magnitude quakes beginning at 12:24pm local, with the epicenter less than 10 miles south of Eunice 

The Alamogordo fault extends about 68 miles, from south to central New Mexico.