The quake was considered minor and did little damage. But it was the eighth to be “felt” in Ohio this year, compared to four in 2009 and five in 2008, according to the Ohio Seismic Network’s catalog of earthquakes.
And the magnitude of the most recent quake was marginally higher than the average for the East North Central region of the U.S., which includes Indiana and Ohio.
“For this part of the world, that is bigger than we usually get,” said Michael Hansen of the Ohio Seismic Network. “We usually get earthquakes in Ohio in the range of 2-3 magnitude.’’
Local scientists are concerned because they don’t know exactly what led to the quake, and an increase in seismic activity can be a prelude to more earthquakes.
“It’s not at all clear what kind of structure this earthquake might be related to,” said Ernest Hauser, a geophysics professor at Wright State University. “Because there are relatively infrequent earthquakes in the area there is a poorer understanding of what structures in the Earth’s crust might be slipping to give rise to these earthquakes.”
In June, a 5.0 magnitude quake that originated in Canada sent aftershocks through Ohio.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2000 or flastname@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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