Large earthquake in Gulf of Mexico

A large earthquake was registered in the Gulf of Mexico Sunday morning.

The National Earthquake Center confirmed an earthquake in the Gulf at

Click here for an enlarged image.

10:56 a.m. It was centered 260 miles west southwest of Clearwater and about 251 miles west southwest of Bradenton Beach. The depth in the Gulf was estimated at about 6.2 miles.

It registered a 6 magnitude, which is considered strong in scale, according to the U.S. Geological Survey web site. A 7 is considered large and 3 is rated a minor earthquake.

Tremors were reportedly felt north to Gainesville and in Georgia and Alabama.

Emergency service providers in the Bay area didn't report any disruptions in power or service. Tampa International Airport said there were no delays.

There was a small earthquake in the Gulf in February, but Al Hine, a geological oceanographer at USF, said it was still unexpected. Hine said it was unusual because Florida sits near the middle of what's known in geological circles as the North American Plate. Earthquakes usually happen on the edge of that plate in places such as California.

"There are stresses associated with these boundaries, and these stresses can be transmitted to the middle of the plate and can perhaps reactivate old faults that occurred but haven't been active for a long period of time," Hine said.

While there may be aftershocks, Hine said don't expect a tsunami (tidal waves).

"This particular quake probably did not displace the sea floor, so there's no displacement of the water column on top, hence there probably was no tsunami " Hine said.

Click here for a map showing where the earthquake struck. Then click on the red box on the map for more specific information about coordinates.





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