A magnitude 5.3 earthquake occurred near Duncan, AZ at approximately 10 pm on June 28th, 2014. This was the largest earthquake to occur in southeastern Arizona – southwestern New Mexico in 75 years, and it serves as a reminder that Arizona does indeed have earthquakes and earthquake hazards.
In this article, we present some of the highlights of the geological exploration of Arizona, focused on the role of early surveys by the U.S. Government and later geologic studies by the USGS and the AZGS and its predecessors.
The summer of 2011 saw huge wildfires burning across Arizona. The Wallow Fire (538,049 acres) set a new state record, burning a larger area than the 2002 Rodeo-Chediski Fire (468,638 acres). The Horseshoe 2 Fire (222,954 acres) burned approximately 70% of the Chiricahua Mountains and became the 4th largest fire in Arizona history.
