2 earthquake fault lines located near Colorado Springs

Information from the Colorado Geological Survey shows that earthquake fault lines are closer to Colorado Springs than many people realize.

The CGS said fault lines capable of producing earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 are in Ute Pass and Rampart Range, an area west of Manitou Springs along U.S. 24 in El Paso County.

Experts said the odds of a major quake in that area are less than one-half percent but could produce devastating results if it happened.

The CGS said a quake on both faults could kill as many as 1,700 people, depending on what time of day or night it occurred, as well as leave nearly 19,000 people homeless, damage or destroy 15 percent of area buildings and cause almost $100 million in damage to highways and utility lines.

A strong quake also could ignite 14 fires that would displace 160 people, the CGS said.

Updated information provided by the CGS stated that a major quake on the Rampart Range fault could lead to nearly $12 billion in losses for the county and nearly $29 billion statewide.

A similar quake on the Ute Pass fault could result in county losses of around $14 billion for the county and $22 billion statewide, according to the CGS.

The Poehner family recently moved to Colorado Springs from southern California and was surprised to learn that they haven’t entirely escaped the possibility of earthquakes.

“Our kids were looking at the rocks and (wondering) what it would take for one of those to fall,” said Annie Poehner. “And I said it would probably be some huge earthquake.”

Earthquakes are occasionally reported in Trinidad and several other areas of Colorado. Some are caused by human activity such as drilling and others occur naturally.

Bart Howard, deputy director of emergency management for Colorado Springs, said the city includes earthquakes in its disaster response plan.

“You can’t predict or prevent them,” he said. “You get no early warning. All we can do is respond afterward and tell people to have emergency supplies on hand. Fires and floods are more of a concern for us.”

The CGS said there have been more than 500 quakes in the state’s recorded history but researchers lack the necessary equipment to accurately assess the risk of quakes and monitor them.

Several years ago, the CGS installed two permanent, modern seismographs to work with nine existing seismographs and connect them to the National Earthquake Information Center.

“But we need more to really do a good job locating these earthquakes,” said Matt Morgan, senior research geologist for the CGS.

The CGS said the last quakes recorded in the county were in December, 1995, when quakes of magnitude 3.6 and 2.8 occurred near Manitou Springs. The quakes were felt as far away as Cripple Creek and Victor in Teller County.

According to the CGS, the state’s most powerful quake was magnitude 6.6 north of Estes Park in 1886. However, the actual location wasn’t determined until 1986.

Evidence exists of quakes stronger than 7.0 since humans have occupied the state, the CGS said.

The CGC said another fault capable of producing a 7.0 quake is east of Pueblo at the junction of Bent, Crowley, Kiowa and Otero counties.

To see the CGC’s fault line map, visit http://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/geologic-hazards/earthquakes/risks-hazards-loss/potential-losses-hazus/.