DC Earthquake: Feel the Earth Move Under Your Feet?
‘Earth Day 2010′
courtesy of ‘vpickering’
Feel something shaking this morning? According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a mild earthquake was felt around the Potomac region at roughly 5:04 a.m., measured at a 3.6 magnitude. As the Washington Post noted in its coverage online, this is decently significant for the area. The last measured quake was ten times less severe (a 2.6 magnitude) from 1990. Structural damage is also not likely, given the relative weakness of this morning’s shakes.
As this is D.C., we are always taking suggestions for what nickname this event should earn (a la Snowpocalypse). Clubhouse leader? “The Big Shakedown.” Leave your better ideas in the comments.
Comments
21 Responses to “DC Earthquake: Feel the Earth Move Under Your Feet?”
July 16th, 2010 at 6:37 am
I was up when it happened. I still cant believe I witnessed my room shake. I though I would hear everything in my kitchen crash to the ground
July 16th, 2010 at 7:01 am
I woke up around that time but didn’t actually notice anything. I always miss this stuff…
July 16th, 2010 at 7:59 am
I slept through it. I’m disappointed that I did. (Crystal City)
Rep. Joe Barton, THIS is what you call a shakedown!
July 16th, 2010 at 7:59 am
I was woken up by the shake this morning. First, I felt the bed was shaking, then the house. I thought that I was in the dream, but it was real… checking the time ~5:05am
July 16th, 2010 at 8:02 am
I thought I felt a big truck going by early this morning in downtown DC, but then I fell back asleep. When I saw the news, I thought “so that’s what that was…”
July 16th, 2010 at 8:04 am
My dog woke me up barking just before the earthquake. Then the rumbling started. I looked at the clock- 5:04. I was pretty sure I had felt an earthquake but it was nice to hear on the news that it wasn’t my imagination. I live in Severna Park outside of Annapolis- a long way from Gaithersburg.
July 16th, 2010 at 8:24 am
OMG! It woke me up. I sleep in the basement, and I opened my eyes and everything was moving. I couldn’t believe something like this was happening. I live in Columbia, MD
July 16th, 2010 at 8:48 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by We Love DC, Doug Wilson, Dave Levy, Dave Levy, Huyen Tue Dao and others. Huyen Tue Dao said: Holy crap, it was. RT @welovedc: That was, in fact, an earthquake this morning. http://wldc.us/b7veFM [...]
July 16th, 2010 at 8:56 am
Definitely awoken by something at that time in Glover Park.
My suggestion: “Barry coke habit gets WAY out of hand”
July 16th, 2010 at 9:00 am
+1 to Rebecca
July 16th, 2010 at 10:13 am
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July 16th, 2010 at 11:43 am
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July 16th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
[...] DC Earthquake: Feel the Earth Move Under Your Feet? » We Love DC Written by Indra Lasmana on July 16, 2010 – 3:57 pm – This post was mentioned on Twitter by We Love DC, Doug Wilson, Dave Levy, Dave Levy, Huyen Tue Dao and others. Huyen Tue Dao said: Holy crap, it was. RT @welovedc: That was, in fact, an earthquake this morning. http://wldc.us/b7veFM [. … dc earthquake – Google Blog Search [...]
July 16th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
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July 16th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
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July 16th, 2010 at 2:07 pm
I heard and felt my bed was shaking, but I was too tired. I thought I was dreaming until I listened to the radio
July 16th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, it was the strongest quake to hit within 30 miles of D.C. since the agency began keeping records in 1974.
Plate tectonics are a major factor in earthquakes. Studies were done some time ago on plate tectonic movement in Colorado finding that the Rocky Mountain Arsenal was the most likely cause for earhtqukes at that time.
The Arsenal was pumping radio active fluids deep beneath the surface of the earth causing tectonic plates to slide and thereby earthquakes became frequent. When the pumping stopped the earthquakes subsided.
Could it be that tectonic plates underneath Washington D.C. are now being lubricated by the huge oil spill of the gulf?
July 16th, 2010 at 5:02 pm
[...] reach for my iPod touch and check out the Twitter feeds. There I learned two things: there was an Earthquake I slept through & my co-worker Laura needed a [...]
July 16th, 2010 at 9:53 pm
Sounded like an explosion- the windows rattled. Don’t remember too much shaking, but it jolted me out of bed at 5:04…and I live 4 miles from the epicenter.
July 17th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
[...] DC Earthquake: Feel the Earth Move Under Your Feet? » We Love DC [...]
August 2nd, 2010 at 8:22 am
It should be called “Code Quake”