Earthquake Strikes Central Maryland; Dozens Report Shaking

An earthquake struck central Maryland a short while in the past, practically 24 hours after one other earthquake hit south close to Richmond, Virginia. The magnitude 2.0 occasion struck simply outdoors of Sykesville, Maryland in Carroll County at 11:49 pm. The seismic occasion, which had a depth of 5 km, was felt by greater than 125 individuals who used the “Did You Really feel It?” took on the USGS earthquake web site.

Maryland hardly ever experiences earthquakes however the quantity has been rising over time. In line with USGS and the Maryland Emergency Administration Company, between 1758 and 1987 Maryland skilled 22 minor earthquakes. Nevertheless, from January 1990 by way of December 1996, Maryland skilled 35 small tremors—1 in Harford County, 2 in Cecil County, 3 in Baltimore County, and 29 in Howard County. In solely seven years, the variety of identified earthquakes in Maryland greater than doubled.

The newest important occasion was on July 16, 2010, when a 3.6 magnitude earthquake occurred close to Germantown. Floor shaking was felt as distant as Annapolis and Northern Virginia.

In line with the Maryland Emergency Administration Company, based mostly on obtainable information, the general earthquake danger to all jurisdictions, except Cecil County, is low to medium-low, relative to Maryland. Cecil County is ranked as medium primarily pushed by inhabitants vulnerability, density and geographic extent. Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Charles, Calvert, Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Wicomico counties and Baltimore Metropolis are ranked medium-low based mostly totally on inhabitants density and inhabitants vulnerability.

In line with USGS, tonight’s earthquake was the primary earthquake to hit Maryland in over a yr. The final was a weak magnitude 1.7 occasion which struck close to Woodlawn.

A number of earthquakes in adjoining states have been felt in Maryland however Marylanders usually tend to really feel certainly one of these out-of-state earthquakes than one inside Maryland.  Southwestern Virginia, central Virginia, and the Atlantic seaboard northward from Wilmington, Delaware have considerably extra seismic exercise than does Maryland. One out-of-state earthquake that was felt in a lot of Maryland occurred Easter Sunday, April 22, 1984. In reality, it was reported felt in eight states and the District of Columbia, over an space of roughly 19,000 sq. miles. Centered about 12 miles south of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, this earthquake was measured as a 4.1 magnitude seismic occasion. In line with the Maryland Geological Survey, most notable results in Maryland have been within the northeastern a part of the state.  The Lancaster earthquake is probably going associated to Triassic-age constructions within the space.