USGS researcher describes earthquakes in South Carolina as a scientific mystery

The USGS is looking at 10 earthquakes that occurred near Columbia in less than two weeks. To better understand the earthquakes, WYFF spoke with Thomas Pratt, a research geophysicist and Central and Eastern District Coordinator with the USGS. The eastern United States remains a mystery because while there are plenty of fault lines across the region, researchers aren’t sure what makes them active to start moving. “One of the mysteries of seismology is why we get earthquakes in the eastern United States at all because they’re not at a plate margin, and most earthquakes like California or Alaska are at the edges of two tectonic plates, while the eastern United States is not close to a plate edge.” When the ground begins to shake due to an earthquake, Pratt says it’s because of a slip in one of the fault lines. “An earthquake is simply when a fault moves and the fault is a crack in the ground, so basically you have the ground on either side of the crack moving, relative to each other and that’s what causes the vibration,” he added. Carolina, experts say smaller earthquakes are not uncommon. “You have a lot of fault lines left from the time the Appalachian Mountains were built and you have many mountain-building rings there, so there are faults all over South Carolina. The question is which ones are active,” Pratt said. Thursday, researchers say that sometimes these flaws start to move in from time to time, as was the case recently in the Midlands. “There’s always the possibility that these are earthquakes of something bigger, when you sometimes get a big earthquake, sometimes you get a number of these smaller earthquakes beforehand, and now that’s unlikely because we see dozens of them in the eastern United States every year, but it’s just,” Pratt said. Roughly every 40 to 50 years we see a major earthquake in the eastern United States, the chances of that earthquake are pretty slim, but we can’t eliminate that possibility.” Charleston’s most historic earthquake occurred 136 years ago. “South Carolina has a history of relatively small earthquakes scattered across the state, and then it has also had some big earthquakes, the largest of which was the Charleston, South Carolina earthquake of 1886 which caused massive damage in the Charleston. 7 earthquake,” Pratt said. While the state has not experienced such an earthquake recently, many people remember the 4.1-magnitude earthquake near Edgefield on Valentine’s Day in 2014. It can be felt throughout the northern region of the country. “When you get to 4 on the Richter scale, you start to see things like falling objects, and when you get to 5 you start to get damage, like falling chimneys and things like that,” Pratt added. The USGS says the recent earthquakes should serve as a reminder to always be prepared, such as getting additional supplies like food and water. The South Carolina Department of Emergency Management has an earthquake guide to help you stay prepared.

, SC –

The USGS is looking at 10 earthquakes that occurred near Columbia in less than two weeks.

To better understand the earthquakes, WYFF spoke with Thomas Pratt, a researcher geophysics and central and eastern region coordinator with the USGS.

Pratt says earthquakes in the eastern United States remain a mystery because while there are plenty of fault lines throughout the region, researchers aren’t sure what makes them active to start moving.

“One of the mysteries of seismology is why we get earthquakes in the eastern United States at all because they’re not at a plate margin, and most earthquakes like California or Alaska are at the edges of two tectonic plates, while the eastern United States is not near the edge of the plate.”

When the ground begins to shake due to an earthquake, Pratt says it’s because of slipping in one of the fault lines.

“An earthquake simply happens when a fault moves and the fault is a crack in the ground, so basically you have the ground on either side of the crack moving, relative to each other and that’s what causes the vibration,” he added.

In South Carolina, experts say smaller earthquakes are not uncommon.

“You have a lot of fault lines left from the time the Appalachian Mountains were built and you have many mountain-building rings there, so there are faults all over South Carolina. The question is which ones are active,” Pratt said. Thursday.

Sometimes researchers say that these defects begin to move from time to time, such as recently in the midsection.

“There’s always the possibility that these are earthquakes of something bigger, when you sometimes get a big earthquake, sometimes you get a number of these smaller earthquakes beforehand, and now that’s unlikely because we see dozens of them in the eastern United States every year, but it’s just,” Pratt said. About every 40 to 50 years we see a major earthquake in the eastern US. The chances are very slim that this could lead to something bigger, but we can’t eliminate that possibility.”

In South Carolina, one of Charleston’s most historic earthquakes occurred 136 years ago.

“South Carolina has a history of relatively small earthquakes spread across the state, and then it has also had some big earthquakes, the largest of which was the Charleston, South Carolina earthquake of 1886 which caused massive damage in the Charleston. 7 earthquake,” Pratt said.

While the state hasn’t experienced such a magnitude recently, many people remember the 4.1-magnitude earthquake near Edgefield on Valentine’s Day in 2014.

It can be felt throughout the northern region.

“When you get to scale 4, you start to see things like falling things, and when you get to scale 5 you start to get damage, like chimneys falling and things like that,” Pratt added.

The USGS says the recent earthquakes should serve as a reminder to always be prepared, such as getting additional supplies like food and water.

The South Carolina Department of Emergency Management has an earthquake guide to help you stay prepared.

.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos