Weather Whys: Earthquake explainer

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Today's Weather Why covers an early morning event that brought a bit of a shake-up to some Wisconsin residents. 

Wednesday morning, Nov. 15, a 3.6 magnitude earthquake occurred in Central Illinois, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. 

While most earthquakes occur along and around 17 tectonic plates, smaller fault lines nearby can also trigger seismic waves. 

CBS 58 Meteorologist Rebecca Schuld tells us more.

An earthquake is a phenomenon that results from the sudden release of stored energy in the earth's crust that creates seismic waves. At the

surface, earthquakes manifest themselves by a shaking or displacement of the ground, which may lead to loss of life and destruction of

property. While the majority of earthquakes occur near where the 17 tectonic plates on Earth meet, smaller fault lines can

also trigger seismic activity.

This recent earthquake occurred near Standard, Illinois. That's about one hundred miles southwest of Chicago. Even though 3.6 magnitude is

on the weak side, folks as far as southern Wisconsin, eastern Iowa and parts of Indiana reported feeling the tremors. No damage was

reported. The closest fault line sits just south of where this earthquake occurred. It's called the New Madrid Fault. Interestingly, back in 1811-

1812 this fault triggered the strongest earthquakes on record for the continental United States, some measuring as high as 8 on the

magnitude scale.