SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Five years ago, the Salt Lake Valley was rocked by a 5.7 magnitude earthquake that caused millions in damage to buildings throughout Salt Lake City and Magna.

As Utah's "geological clock" continues to tick closer and closer to its next big earthquake, researchers at the University of Utah say the next one could hit harder than previously thought.

Photos of the damage caused by Magna earthquake (Courtesy: Utah Geological Survey)

Fan-Chi Lin is an associate professor of geology and geophysics at the University of Utah. Over the last few years, he and several students have been studying waves produced by distant earthquakes in Idaho, Wyoming and throughout the state, to get a better understanding of what lies beneath the surface in Salt Lake City.

The goal was not

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