2 years ago
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A tiny earthquake struck adjacent the municipality of Sykesville, successful bluish Maryland, connected Tuesday night. The tremor was centered astir 20 miles westbound of Baltimore and 30 miles northbound of Washington.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the anemic quake was rated magnitude 2, and that it occurred astatine a extent of 3.1 miles.
Hundreds of radical reported feeling the earthquake, which struck astatine 11:49 p.m. All but 1 study to the USGS categorized the shaking arsenic “weak.” This is the lowest shingle standing successful a standard that spans crossed 9 categories, peaking astatine “very heavy.”
While astir of the reports of shaking were wrong a fewer miles of the epicenter, shaking was felt arsenic acold distant arsenic the Front Royal and Chantilly areas. It was besides noticed wrong the Beltway successful Annandale, Bethesda and Silver Spring.
WTOP relayed word of a fewer calls to 911 from residents of Howard County who “heard a roar oregon felt a rumble.”
There were nary reports of damage. “Damage does not usually hap until the earthquake magnitude reaches determination supra 4 oregon 5,” the USGS wrote. Whether a anemic quake causes harm depends connected ungraded benignant and different localized factors.
The late-night quake was the archetypal to onslaught the country since Aug. 18, 2021, erstwhile a magnitude 1.7 struck adjacent Woodlawn connected the outskirts of Baltimore. Across the broader Washington-Baltimore region, astir 1 quake of this strength mightiness beryllium expected per year. It is besides communal to spell respective years without one.
Almost each earthquakes successful the portion are likewise weak, with astir unnoticed by residents. Last twelvemonth marked the 10th day of a 5.8 earthquake that rocked the Mid-Atlantic. It struck adjacent Mineral, Va., connected Aug. 23, 2011, and was the strongest eastbound of the Rocky Mountains since 1944.
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