Earthquake Rattles Georgia, Southeast of Atlanta

An earthquake struck Georgia tonight, in line with USGS, with greater than a dozen folks utilizing the “Did you are feeling it?” instrument on the USGS web site to report feeling it. The epicenter of the quake was southeast of Atlanta, roughly 8.5 miles southwest of Mansfield, Georgia; the depth of the magnitude 2.4 earthquake was shallow at only one.6 km. The earthquake struck at 9:20 pm native time.

Georgia isn’t sometimes identified for its earthquakes, however they do occur once in a while. On June 18, a magnitude 3.9 earthquake hit, triggering a bulletin from the Nationwide Climate Service’s Tsunami Warning Middle. That earthquake, centered close to Stillmore,  was felt all through the Atlanta metro space in addition to southern and japanese Georgia close to the Atlantic coast. No intensive injury was reported nor did a tsunami type.  The final earthquake inside 30 miles of that one with comparable depth occurred in 2003. That 3.6 magnitude earthquake struck in Cobbtown, Georgia.  Earlier than that, there was a 3.7 magnitude occasion in Hixton which hit in 1976.

Usually, weak earthquakes impression Georgia with no different vital earthquakes occuring within the state during the last yr. Two months in the past, a 2.1 magnitude occasion hit Grovetown, Georgia whereas a 2.2 magnitude occasion additionally hit close to Harlem, Georgia.  4 months in the past there was a 1.7 magnitude occasion in Dalton, the place a 2.0 magnitude occasion additionally occurred a month earlier. Ten months in the past, a 2.1 magnitude occasion unfolded in each Lincolnton and Lilburn.

An earthquake additionally struck northern Arkansas early this morning, however that’s possible related to an ongoing swarm on the New Madrid Seismic Zone and never associated to this Georgia quake which is greater than 500 miles away.

Georgia isn’t the one place to have an uncommon earthquake not too long ago: South Carolina has been seismically energetic since final December, with greater than 2 dozen earthquakes impacting the state. Consultants are involved that a big scale earthquake will strike in South Carolina sooner or later sooner or later and produce about vital injury and lack of life. Whereas greater than 100 years have handed because the final giant earthquake, a 2001 examine titled “Complete Seismic Threat and Vulnerability Research for the State of South Carolina” confirmed the state is extraordinarily susceptible to earthquake exercise. The examine, primarily based on scientific analysis, offered details about the possible results of earthquakes on the present inhabitants and on modern-day buildings and techniques, together with roadways, bridges, properties, industrial and authorities buildings, faculties, hospitals and water and sewer services.