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Magnitude 2.5 Earthquake Shakes Charleston - Summerville Region | January 29, 2009
Prepared by: South Carolina Earthquake Education and Preparedness (SCEEP) program at the College of Charleston, Department of Geology. SCEEP is partially funded by the SC Emergency Management Division.
SCEEP Members: Erin Beutel (PhD), Briget Doyle (PhD), Cynthia Hall (MS), Steve Jaume (PhD), Norm Levine (PhD)
On Thursday, January 29th , at approximately 4:11 pm local time, an earthquake was reported in the Summerville / Charleston area of South Carolina. Seismologists at the College of Charleston note the magnitude to be approximately 2.5. This is smaller than the December 16, 2008, Summerville earthquake, which was a 3.6 magnitude event. Minor shaking has been reported with this earthquake, however no damage has been reported.
If you felt this earthquake, please go to the United States Geological Survey Did you Feel It website at http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/dyfi/events/us/2008arar/us/index.html and click on Did You Feel It - Tell Us! to describe your earthquake experience.
Earthquakes are not uncommon in South Carolina, in fact, the area around Charleston and Summerville is one of the most seismically active areas east of the Mississippi River. Over 200 earthquakes have been recorded in the Charleston area since the South Carolina Seismic Network. Most of these earthquakes were too small to be felt. However, the United States Geological Survey has recorded 33 earthquakes with magnitudes between 2 and 4.7 in the Charleston region since 1974, including the 3.6 magnitude on December 16, 2008.
FAQ: We had an earthquake in December, does this mean we need to worry about the big one?
ANSWER: No, small earthquakes are common in the Summerville Area.
FAQ: Does this have anything to do with a plane crash?
ANSWER: No, small planes and other surface events (i.e. trucks and trains) cannot cause earthquakes and seismologists can tell the difference between manmade events and earthquakes when they study seismograms.
For more information on earthquakes in South Carolina, please click on SC Earthquakes on the left side of this page, or go to http://scearthquakes.cofc.edu/SCEQ/aboutSCEQ.html
If you want to tell us your experience or send us any pictures you may have about this earthquake please e-mail SCEEP. We would love to hear from you. Send us an email at: kaufmanc@cofc.edu
The picture below is a seismogram of the January 29, 2009 earthquake in South Carolina. The seismogram is from the New Hope, SC United States National Seismic Network seismograph. Click on the image below to see an enlarged version of the seismogram.
Dungeon Master: kaufmanc@cofc.edu
