South Carolina has experienced 10 earthquakes since late December, confusing experts

A series of 10 earthquakes has rocked the area around Columbia, the capital of South Carolina, over the past two weeks, and geologists aren’t sure what the earthquakes might mean for the region.

Seismic activity began on December 27, after a 3.3-magnitude earthquake shook the border region between Richland and Kershaw counties.

Geologists believe that the earthquake triggered an extended period of aftershocks, which explains the recent wave of smaller earthquakes around the region.

South Carolina is no stranger to earthquakes. The state averages about 20 each year, with a portion of the state sitting atop the Piedmont Easter Fault System, which stretches from Alabama north to Virginia. The fault system is ancient and likely formed about 480 million years ago, around the same time as the Appalachian Mountains rose.

While ancient fault systems in the southeastern United States were largely inactive, Stephen Gaum, associate professor at the College of Charleston, told WYFF that a recent wave of earthquakes may indicate that these faults are becoming active.

“The question is whether those defects are reactivated,” he said. “Did they start over in that particular area? That’s what we’re investigating.”

In addition to the number of earthquakes, the site is also unusual. Most earthquakes in the state occur near the coasts, particularly near the Charleston area. The last group of earthquakes lies further inland, and they all occur around Columbia.

Jaume said that as long as the earthquakes continue to be minor, there is probably no cause for concern.

The state was last hit by a major earthquake in 1886. That year, Charleston suffered the largest earthquake ever recorded in the southeastern United States when an earthquake of at least a magnitude of 7 shook the city, killing dozens and destroying hundreds of buildings.

Prior to the earthquake, several smaller tremors occurred in the area over the course of several days. There was no way of knowing at the time that the earthquakes were harbingers of a major event to come.

Unfortunately, seismologists are still unable to predict earthquakes. Unlike meteorology, which allows researchers to see upcoming storms and other weather events, there is no way to measure data that can predict an earthquake.

“You can’t expect that to happen,” Jaume told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “There isn’t anything obvious that moves or changes that you can put your finger on so that you can say, ‘This leads to this.'”

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