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FOUNTAIN, Colo. — A computer error that a seismologist missed caused the U.S. Geological Survey to report a small earthquake happened in southern Colorado Monday morning.
In fact there was no earthquake, the agency later said.
The USGS website reported the 3.0 magnitude earthquake happened about 19 miles south of Fountain. The recording was later deleted from the website.
The USGS says earthquakes are rare in the Rocky Mountain area. According to the agency’s website, “Most earthquakes in North America east of the Rockies occur as faulting within bedrock, usually miles deep.”