More than a dozen earthquakes have struck near Nevada‘s highly classified base in the past 24 hours.
At least 17 earthquakes up to a 4.4 magnitude were detected just miles from Area 51, a cultural phenomenon thanks to decades of conspiracy theories connecting the base to UFOs, aliens and experimental aircraft testing.
The 4.4-magnitude earthquake kicked off the seismic activity, striking just 2.5 miles underground, fueling speculation about possible underground testing.
The tremors were recorded in an area not typically known for frequent seismic activity, raising questions among observers tracking the unusual cluster.
Geophysicist Stefan Burns described the location as ‘an unusual place to get an earthquake,’ noting that the region has historically remained relatively quiet compared with other fault-heavy zones across the West.
He also pointed to the shallow depth of the strongest quake, roughly four kilometers underground, a detail he said made the event particularly noteworthy.
Burns added that earthquakes and underground explosions can sometimes produce similar seismic signatures, especially when energy is released suddenly beneath the surface.
While he stressed that the event was most likely a natural earthquake, he acknowledged there was ‘some ambiguity’ in the seismic data and said the unusual characteristics made the activity ‘worth discussing in the context of whether this is a covert underground nuclear test.’
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