Since early July, Central Virginia has been rattled by five small earthquakes: a magnitude 2.3 in Short Pump.Then, on Friday a 2.1 magnitude in Ashland, followed by a 2.3 in Caroline County and a magnitude 1.6 in Hanover.
Earthquake Seismologist Dr. Martin Chapman of Virginia Tech says earthquakes are common in Central Virginia, but finds the distance between these recent quakes troubling.
"It suggests that we have stresses that have accumulated over a larger area and that has implications of a larger earthquake in the future" says Chapman.
He says we could experience a magnitude 5 earthquake if this trend continues. "A 4.5 ...moves objects off shelves and things. A magnitude 5 is consideranly stronger" he says.
The largest earthquake to hit the Commonwealth was a 5.8 in 1897. The largest one to hit Central Virginia was a magnitude 5 in 1875.
Earthquake Seismologist Dr. Martin Chapman of Virginia Tech says earthquakes are common in Central Virginia, but finds the distance between these recent quakes troubling.
"It suggests that we have stresses that have accumulated over a larger area and that has implications of a larger earthquake in the future" says Chapman.
He says we could experience a magnitude 5 earthquake if this trend continues. "A 4.5 ...moves objects off shelves and things. A magnitude 5 is consideranly stronger" he says.
The largest earthquake to hit the Commonwealth was a 5.8 in 1897. The largest one to hit Central Virginia was a magnitude 5 in 1875.
