Charleston, SC experiences first earthquake of 2003

[Stormsfury]

On February 1st, 2003 - Charleston, SC at 1:49 am - recorded a 2.12mag earthquake - located on the Middleton Fault about 4 miles deep.

Nothing major, not even felt ...
This time last year, January 2002 had already experienced 6 minor temblors, 2 were felt in Charleston. December 2001 also had 6 temblors.
(12 in the 2 month period was quite high).

2002 - Charleston area recorded 17 minor earthquakes, plus two offshore, including the 4.32 mag quake on the 11th of November.

[Rainband]

I didn't even think they got quakes

[bfez1]

me, either rainband

[Rainband]

good cause i felt stupid thats why the i is lowercase

[Stormsfury]

Charleston averages about 15-20 small tremors a year.

We have underlying faults, not in the traditional sense like the San Andreas Fault which run vertical ... The Mid-continental plate faultlines run horizontal underneath and are not fully understood.

On August 31st, 1886 - Charleston, SC was struck by the most powerful earthquake in the Eastern United States (east of the Mississippi River). Estimates place the Charleston Quake between 6.6 to 7.5 on the Richter Scale. This quake was felt as far away as 1000 miles ... in other words, it was felt in Boston, Chicago, and even in Bermuda. The quake cracked sidewalks in Chicago, IL!!!!!! .... The epicenter was along the Middleton Fault in Summerville, SC - about 20 miles NW of Charleston (and very close to where I reside, present day. :o On the Modified-Mercalli scale, the quake was an intensity X (out of XII 10 out of 12 or the extreme damage category) -

November 11th, 2002 - A 4.32 magnitude quake struck offshore of Charleston at around 6:40 pm - I did not feel or hear the quake but others reported feeling/hearing it here locally, and also felt as far away as Eastern North Carolina. The last 4.0+ magnitude quake was August 21st, 1992 - Summerville, SC - 4.4 - I heard two separate explosions and during the second one, the earth shook and rolled remarkedly for about 20 seconds. Very unsettling.

[chadtm80]

cool. thanks for the info Stormsfury. i as well did not know that

[Rainband]

Uh Oh hope the "big one" isn't coming I thought the east coast wasn't quake territory :?

[Amanzi]

:o Wow stormsfury, I had no clue about SC having quakes...Great Post

[vbhoutex]

I had no idea NC experienced so many!!! The only fault of any consequence I had heard of E of the Mississippi River was the New Madrid fault in Missouri.

Welcome to Storm2k Stormsfury!!! I look forward to your weather insight which I've enjoyed over at the TWC boards.

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

Wow Mike..I guess some decent tremors can be felt there. I know some plates/faults run through some areas down there...just dont hear of many quakes....just like here.

[wx247]

Yeesh! I did not know that. Living in Southern Missouri I have always been a little leary of the New Madrid fault, which actually extends into near the Branson area. That is a little too close to home for me personally.

I also did not know the frequency of small quakes which occur in South Carolina. It is interesting that no one ever reports much on them. It must be because so much is unknown.

Garrett

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

True Garrett. They have some pretty wild fault lines here in PA as well. Nothing compared to say what you guys get every now and then but we've had out share of decent sized 2-3 on the Richter Scales in the past. Seems like mid winter...like now into spring is when we feel a few down in the southern part of the stae near Harrisburg and Reading.

[JCooper]

News Media just released that it was not a quake but a sonic boom.. rocked some houses on John's Island.. pretty good boom

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

lol wow! And to think they recorded that as a tremor! Strange!

[JCooper]

doesn't make good sense... but then the news media doesn't make good sense most of the time

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

Got that right JC....musta been one heckuva plane to cause so much rattling of the areas down there and to be measured so highon the scales. I remember a small explosion was felt miles away here years ago and it measured on the Richter Scale and no one even knew it was a blast from a rock quarry!

[Stormsfury]

If it was a sonic boom that registered on the automated seismographs along the Middleton fault, then someone that was flying the plane is in BIG TROUBLE!...

Anyone that is interested in South Carolina Seismology - check this site out.
http://scsn.seis.sc.edu/

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

lol if that were in Kentucky I'd say it was just a pickup truck backfiring on Main St. lol j/k ya'll I love Kentucky! Dont write me letters now...just a joke...lol

[Stormsfury]

Just a quick update - February 1st, 2003 was an actual earthquake

Last night was the sonic boom confirmed by the news and not an earthquake - it will be interesting to see if that does register on the seismographs - it takes about 2 days from the occurrence to be updated on the SC Seismic Network -

[Aslkahuna]

over TX was recorded on seismometers as well-it was what is called a M-wave event after the characteristic trace that shows up on the seismometers for airborne shocks.

The NE US can also get earthquakes and some day it is feared that they could get a real shaker up around NYC.

Steve