MADISON TWP., Lake Co., Ohio - A magnitude 2.6 earthquake was recorded late Monday in Lake County, approximately 35 miles north of the Mahoning Valley, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The preliminary report indicates the earthquake occurred at 11:50 p.m. Monday. The epicenter was located about 1.5 miles east-northeast of Madison and 12 miles east-northeast of Painesville. The seismic event had a recorded depth of about 5 miles (8 kilometers).

While there were no immediate reports of damage, the event highlights northeast Ohio’s seismic history. A state report on induced seismicity notes that the nearby Youngstown area experienced a sequence of earthquakes between 2011 and 2013 along a previously unknown fault.

That sequence included a magnitude 4.0 earthquake on New Year's Eve in 2011. Investigations linked those events to the Northstar #1 injection well, which was used to dispose of wastewater from oil and gas operations. The pressure from the injected fluids activated a fault in the deep rock below.

Most of the seismic activity in Ohio occurs in this deep rock layer known as the Precambrian basement.

Monday's event in Lake County was much smaller than the 2011 Youngstown earthquake. The USGS generally describes earthquakes under magnitude 3.0 as minor events that are rarely felt by people.