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A 4.6 magnitude earthquake hit southwestern Utah early Monday.

The 5:06 a.m. quake could be felt in the sparsely populated area about eight miles northwest of Circleville and eight miles west of Junction. Several people called the seismograph stations at the University of Utah to report they experienced the predawn shaking. No damage or injuries were reported.

"It's a moderate-sized earthquake, so we're unlikely to have significant damage," said Keith Koper, director of the U.'s Seismograph Stations. "But people will definitely be aware of it if they are relatively close to the epicenter."

Several aftershocks hit the area, though they were, as expected, much smaller in size, Koper said.

Sheena McFarland