USGS Answers Probe to Yellowstone Area Quake

Feb. 11, 2004

by Mitch Battros (ECTV)

I have now received an official response to the reported 5.3 earthquake in Wyoming. The response comes from Pam Benfield of the USGS/NEIC office.

Here is her unedited response:
(Pam Benfield, USGS - Denver)

"This event was an unchecked, fully automatic location that our system located and distributed. When reviewed by our geophysicists, it was determined that this event was a mine blast and deleted since it was not a seismic event. The event should have been deleted from the EMSC site as well. I would recommend that in the future you use the site of the Wyoming State Geological Survey to check for events against the EMSC site."

WSGS: http://www.wsgsweb.uwyo.edu/

If you have any questions or need further information please let me know.

Sincerely,

Pam Benfield
USGS/NEIC

I put in a call to the WSGS, and it appears no such Pam Benfield exist. I have since made contact with the USGS Central Region, Denver, CO, which covers Wyoming and several other states. When contact was made, I disclosed who I am , and the nature of my call. They told me "Hiedi Koontz", assistant director would call me back at 11: 30 AM (Pacific). I am waiting on her call as I am writing to you. As soon as our conversation takes place, I will immediately place the transcript attached to this news release. Notification of this call being recorded will be disclosed up front.

Time: 12:07 PM (Pacific Time)
I am writing to you in "real time". I just got off the phone with Jim Case of the Wyoming State Geological Survey in Laramie, WY. http://www.wsgsweb.uwyo.edu/ He reports they in fact were notified of reported quake by the Denver based USGS office. Mr. Case made the following statement: "we were told that a 5.3 earthquake had registered on Feb. 6th in Wyoming. We believe it was a glitch and have no further information to report". When I informed Mr. Case of Pam Benfield's of the USGS/NEIC report, and here statement that the event " was a mine blast", Case reacted with disbelief and stated "no, I don't think it was a mine blast. If it was an explosion, and measured 5.3, we're talking something on the scale of MOAB or a nuclear devise." He went onto to explain that it could have been a "mine collapse". However, a mine collapse would still not measure up to a 5. 3 mg, but more likely a 2.5 to 3.5 quake.

Time: 1:17 PM (Pacific Time)
I am writing to you in "real time". Just got off the phone with Heidi Koontz, assistant director of the Denver USGS office. Ms. Koontz states she was unaware of a 5.3 mag quake being reported on Feb. 6th. I asked if she knew of a person named Pam Benfield. Ms. Koontz responded "Oh yes, she is with our office. She is one of the scientist who would be able to make this determination. Whatever Pam said would be consistant with our stance"

There appears to be a strong discrepancy according to two USGS administrators. According to Jim Case of the Wyoming State Geological Survey, there is no way a 5.3 mag quake reading could have occurred as the result of a "mine blast". Yet, Pam Benfield, USGS/NEIC states "the cause of the 5.3 mag reading was due to a mine blast".

So who are we to believe? Perhaps further investigation is needed. You can listen to this train wreck developing as it was recorded "live" just hours ago. It is a fast paced, edge of your seat investigation.

Note: There is a 5 second delay between my "live" interview with Jim Case - USGS Wyoming, and Heidi Koontz - USGS Denver on the same recording.

Mitch Battros
Producer - Earth Changes TV
http://www.earthchangestv.com