A series of six small earthquakes in Virginia since mid-June has left scientists concerned a larger event may be inbound, with Virginia Tech geophysics professor Martin Chapman warning: “When you see a series of these things in a smaller area, you have to take into account the fact that they may be foreshocks of a bigger earthquake.”
The “burst of activity”, as Chapman put it, is unusual in the Old Dominion, with Virginians typically feeling only two or three earthquakes per year.
“We [need to] take a close look at it and… monitor our instruments a little bit closer to make sure that we’re not missing any more little earthquakes, because if you see a continuous sequence that’s something that you have to pay attention to,” the professor explained.
Virginia suffered its most powerful earthquake since the 19th century in 2011. The 5.8 magnitude quake inflicted up to $300 million in cost on the state and nearby Washington D.C., with homes and schools demolished, a nuclear power plant forced to shut down, and the Washington Monument and National Cathedral suffering serious structural damage.
The 2011 quake was not predictable, however, with no “foreshocks” observed before it hit.
