By Nick de la Canal
Published August 26, 2022
Nick De La Canal/WFAE
The series of earthquakes, considered minor by geologists, started in December in the South Carolina town of Elgin, whose downtown is shown here. No one knows what is causing them or how long they will continue.
ELGIN, S.C. — David Horne remembers exactly where he was when the first earthquake hit his town of Elgin, S.C., on Dec. 27, 2021.
He was relaxing on his front porch, while his wife was inside caring for their young grandson. Suddenly, Horne felt the ground shake and heard a noise like thunder boom across the sky.
"And as soon as it happened, I got out of my chair and I went and told her, 'That was an earthquake. That was a 3-point-plus,'" he said.
Horne used to live in Alaska, where earthquakes are more common, but his wife, Whitney Horne — a lifelong South Carolinian — said she wasn't sure what had happened.
"Because I'd never experienced an earthquake," she said. "We're in South Carolina! You don't have earthquakes that you feel in South Carolina."
Sure enough, it was a 3.3 magnitude earthquake — too small to cause damage but big enough to light up the town's Facebook page with dozens of excited comments.
At first, David Horne said, he thought it was cool.
"Wow! An earthquake," he remembered thinking. "I've heard there was a big fault line around here. And that's all I thought about it."
Then, what seemed like aftershocks began — and never stopped. Days and months after that first quake, the ground would rumble while the Hornes were out shopping or at night, while they were in bed, and the shaking has shown no signs of stopping.
ELGIN, S.C. — David Horne remembers exactly where he was when the first earthquake hit his town of Elgin, S.C., on Dec. 27, 2021.
He was relaxing on his front porch, while his wife was inside caring for their young grandson. Suddenly, Horne felt the ground shake and heard a noise like thunder boom across the sky.
"And as soon as it happened, I got out of my chair and I went and told her, 'That was an earthquake. That was a 3-point-plus,'" he said.
Horne used to live in Alaska, where earthquakes are more common, but his wife, Whitney Horne — a lifelong South Carolinian — said she wasn't sure what had happened.
"Because I'd never experienced an earthquake," she said. "We're in South Carolina! You don't have earthquakes that you feel in South Carolina."
Sure enough, it was a 3.3 magnitude earthquake — too small to cause damage but big enough to light up the town's Facebook page with dozens of excited comments.
At first, David Horne said, he thought it was cool.
"Wow! An earthquake," he remembered thinking. "I've heard there was a big fault line around here. And that's all I thought about it."
Then, what seemed like aftershocks began — and never stopped. Days and months after that first quake, the ground would rumble while the Hornes were out shopping or at night, while they were in bed, and the shaking has shown no signs of stopping.
/ Nick De La Canal/WFAE
Whitney and David Horne with their dog, Scooby, on their front porch in Elgin, South Carolina.
"I mean, literally, it seems like we have an earthquake every week. It's not even a surprise anymore," David Horne said.
The U.S. Geological Survey has recorded more than 60 small earthquakes near the town since that first quake in December. The largest — a magnitude 3.6 — rumbled through in late June.
All the shaking has fascinated geologists, who've said this is the longest-running series of earthquakes in recent South Carolina history.
South Carolina's state geologist, Scott Howard, has been investigating these earthquakes with help from other experts. He said scientists refer to this phenomenon as an earthquake "swarm" — that is, a series of small earthquakes with no apparent mainshock.
"They could be a magnitude 2, 3, 1, 2," he said. "It just kind of bounces up and down."
South Carolina is on a minor fault line, Howard said, and the state has had swarms before. In the 1970s, a series of small earthquakes was traced to the creation of the Monticello Reservoir.
When the reservoir was filled with water, it put indirect pressure on the underground fault, Howard said, setting off the string of minor earthquakes.
This time, however, there's no clear explanation. Howard said it's possible heavy rain may have played a role early in the year, but it's hard for scientists to know for sure.
Many residents have worried the swarm is building up to a big earthquake, though seismologists have said that's unlikely.
Still, emergency officials have told people to look into earthquake insurance, and some have, like retired postal worker Phil Crowley, who moved to Elgin a year ago.
"You know, what can you control? You can control getting insurance. That's about it," Crowley said.
He and his wife don't think a big earthquake will hit, but they worry.
"She'll look at me when we're going to sleep and say, 'I hope it's not going to be tonight,'" he said.
If it is, they're ready. They keep two bags packed with clothes and other essentials sitting by their front door, just in case.
As for earthquake safety, the American Red Cross says: "Stay indoors until the shaking stops and you are sure it is safe to exit."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org
Volcanoes and movie monsters ruled out as causes for recent run of earthquakes in SC
Noah Feit, The State - Jul 3,2022
Here’s what we know: There have been 21 earthquakes in the Columbia area in the past week, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
What is not certain is the cause of all the recent seismic activity.
While speculation has run rampant about the possible roots of the tremors, no single thing has been pinpointed as the cause of the earthquakes.
While some have asked legitimate questions about the genesis of the earthquakes, several others have have made more unbelievable proclamations about the rumbling in the Midlands.
The South Carolina Emergency Management Division has tried to have fun on social media while confirming one quake after another. It definitely took a humorous approach to ruling out potential causes of the earthquakes in some recent posts on Facebook and Twitter.
A 3.3-magnitude earthquake hit South Carolina’s Lowcountry on Monday, September 27, 2021 according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), giving two dogs in North Charleston quite a scare.
While tackling a somewhat serious suggestion, SCEMD used comedy to say volcanoes are not the cause of the earthquakes.
“OK, a follower slid into our DMs rather concerned about volcanoes and whether or not our recent earthquake swarm could be prelude to a volcanic eruption,” SCEMD said in a post, before providing a definitive answer. “No. Nope. Not a chance.”
It cited the U.S. Geological Survey as a source for shooting down volcanoes.
“The geologic forces that generated volcanoes in the eastern United States millions of years ago no longer exist. Through plate tectonics, the eastern U.S. has been isolated from the global tectonic features (tectonic plate boundaries and hot spots in the mantle), that cause volcanic activity,” SCEMD said. “So new volcanic activity is not possible now or in the near future.”
Fair enough, but what about other man-made causes, or even monsters from movies and TV that are known for making the Earth shake beneath our feet.
Again, “No. Nope. Not a chance.”
Here’s a list of possible sources that SCEMD ruled out, while reminding followers that South Carolina is a seismically active state.
Fracking
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking as it is more commonly known, is one method of the process of unconventional development of oil and natural gas, according to the Independent Petroleum Association of America. Fracking is a proven drilling technology used for extracting oil, natural gas, geothermal energy or water from deep underground.
While fracking has been linked to earthquakes in Oklahoma, the USGS said “fracking is not causing most of the induced earthquakes,” according to the Independent Petroleum Association of America.
Mining
Mining removes minerals and other materials from the ground.
Linked to seismic activity in other instances, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control said last week that mining activity is not likely to be the cause of recent earthquakes, as mines in the Elgin area are shallow.
Tunneling
Defined as digging or forcing a passage underground or through something, tunneling was also ruled out as a cause of the recent earthquakes by the SCEMD.
Drug traffickers, like Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera, built tunnels along the southern border of the U.S. to smuggle illegal narcotics into the country.
Military exercises
“Military exercises” has become code word in pop culture as an explanation for an otherwise inexplicable phenomena, like UFO sightings.
Nice to see a government agency ruling out military exercises as a cause for the earthquakes.
Kaiju
If you’re looking for a giant monster, a la Godzilla, made popular in Japanese movies and TV, you want a Kaiju. They often emerge from underground or beneath the sea to wreak havoc, in films popular in the U.S. such as “Pacific Rim” and “Cloverfield.”
Fortunately for South Carolina residents, no Mothra, Rodan or Ghidorah sightings have been reported.
Gozer
Gozer is the main villain in the “Ghostbusters” movie franchise and takes the gigantic form of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in the original 1984 film.
SCEMD has ruled out the ancient Sumerian god from Babylonian times as the cause of recent earthquakes, but keep your eyes on any marshmallows or Fluff just to be safe.
Grabboids
The giant, man-eating, earthworm-like creatures were popularized in the “Tremors” film franchise.
While they caused the ground to rumble before an attack, hence the name “Tremors,” neither they nor any Kevin Bacon dance moves are believed to be causing the earthquakes.
Noah Feit, The State - Jul 3,2022
Here’s what we know: There have been 21 earthquakes in the Columbia area in the past week, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
What is not certain is the cause of all the recent seismic activity.
While speculation has run rampant about the possible roots of the tremors, no single thing has been pinpointed as the cause of the earthquakes.
While some have asked legitimate questions about the genesis of the earthquakes, several others have have made more unbelievable proclamations about the rumbling in the Midlands.
The South Carolina Emergency Management Division has tried to have fun on social media while confirming one quake after another. It definitely took a humorous approach to ruling out potential causes of the earthquakes in some recent posts on Facebook and Twitter.
A 3.3-magnitude earthquake hit South Carolina’s Lowcountry on Monday, September 27, 2021 according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), giving two dogs in North Charleston quite a scare.
While tackling a somewhat serious suggestion, SCEMD used comedy to say volcanoes are not the cause of the earthquakes.
“OK, a follower slid into our DMs rather concerned about volcanoes and whether or not our recent earthquake swarm could be prelude to a volcanic eruption,” SCEMD said in a post, before providing a definitive answer. “No. Nope. Not a chance.”
It cited the U.S. Geological Survey as a source for shooting down volcanoes.
“The geologic forces that generated volcanoes in the eastern United States millions of years ago no longer exist. Through plate tectonics, the eastern U.S. has been isolated from the global tectonic features (tectonic plate boundaries and hot spots in the mantle), that cause volcanic activity,” SCEMD said. “So new volcanic activity is not possible now or in the near future.”
Fair enough, but what about other man-made causes, or even monsters from movies and TV that are known for making the Earth shake beneath our feet.
Again, “No. Nope. Not a chance.”
Here’s a list of possible sources that SCEMD ruled out, while reminding followers that South Carolina is a seismically active state.
Fracking
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking as it is more commonly known, is one method of the process of unconventional development of oil and natural gas, according to the Independent Petroleum Association of America. Fracking is a proven drilling technology used for extracting oil, natural gas, geothermal energy or water from deep underground.
While fracking has been linked to earthquakes in Oklahoma, the USGS said “fracking is not causing most of the induced earthquakes,” according to the Independent Petroleum Association of America.
Mining
Mining removes minerals and other materials from the ground.
Linked to seismic activity in other instances, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control said last week that mining activity is not likely to be the cause of recent earthquakes, as mines in the Elgin area are shallow.
Tunneling
Defined as digging or forcing a passage underground or through something, tunneling was also ruled out as a cause of the recent earthquakes by the SCEMD.
Drug traffickers, like Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera, built tunnels along the southern border of the U.S. to smuggle illegal narcotics into the country.
Military exercises
“Military exercises” has become code word in pop culture as an explanation for an otherwise inexplicable phenomena, like UFO sightings.
Nice to see a government agency ruling out military exercises as a cause for the earthquakes.
Kaiju
If you’re looking for a giant monster, a la Godzilla, made popular in Japanese movies and TV, you want a Kaiju. They often emerge from underground or beneath the sea to wreak havoc, in films popular in the U.S. such as “Pacific Rim” and “Cloverfield.”
Fortunately for South Carolina residents, no Mothra, Rodan or Ghidorah sightings have been reported.
Gozer
Gozer is the main villain in the “Ghostbusters” movie franchise and takes the gigantic form of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in the original 1984 film.
SCEMD has ruled out the ancient Sumerian god from Babylonian times as the cause of recent earthquakes, but keep your eyes on any marshmallows or Fluff just to be safe.
 |
| PAZUZU THE ACTUAL GOZER, ALSO FROM THE EXCORIST |
Grabboids
The giant, man-eating, earthworm-like creatures were popularized in the “Tremors” film franchise.
While they caused the ground to rumble before an attack, hence the name “Tremors,” neither they nor any Kevin Bacon dance moves are believed to be causing the earthquakes.
Vecna
No spoilers here.
While Vecna wreaks havoc from his home in the Upside Down in the fourth season of the hit show “Stranger Things,” SCEMD doesn’t see the fearsome sentient creature as the culprit behind earthquakes in the Midlands.
No spoilers here.
While Vecna wreaks havoc from his home in the Upside Down in the fourth season of the hit show “Stranger Things,” SCEMD doesn’t see the fearsome sentient creature as the culprit behind earthquakes in the Midlands.
Cthulhu
Cthulhu is a fictional cosmic entity with an octopus-like head created by writer H. P. Lovecraft.
Although Cthulhu is known for his ability to drive any human that gazes upon his form to insanity, he has not been linked to any seismic activity in the Palmetto State.
©2022 The State. Visit thestate.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Cthulhu is a fictional cosmic entity with an octopus-like head created by writer H. P. Lovecraft.
Although Cthulhu is known for his ability to drive any human that gazes upon his form to insanity, he has not been linked to any seismic activity in the Palmetto State.
©2022 The State. Visit thestate.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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