People who live in Oklahoma are well acquainted with the fury of Mother Nature in the form of tornadoes. Fewer residents have experienced the ongoing small tremors that areas of the state experience from time to time. It's unlikely any Oklahoman would consider experiencing an earthquake whose magnitude would eclipse any in recorded state history -- but that's what happened at 10:53 p.m. CDT Saturday.
Two Earthquakes in Less Than 24-Hour Period
The first earthquake occurred at 2:12 a.m., measuring a magnitude 4.7 in Lincoln County. I live approximately 40 miles from the epicenter and was awake when I simultaneously heard a deep rumbling sound and my house slightly shift. A hanging light fixture in the dining room gently swayed. It was an eerie feeling, causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand up. By standards of earthquakes, it was of moderate magnitude; by standards of Oklahomans, it provoked some anxiety.
The second earthquake occurred some 20 hours later at the same epicenter, measuring a magnitude of 5.6. Again, the rumbling and the shaking were experienced simultaneously, this time not only causing the hanging light fixture to sway, but dishes rattled in the cupboards and china hutch and the ground beneath the house felt as if it were softly undulating. This quake's effects lasted about one minute -- a brief period in day-to-day activity, but an extended period of time under the circumstances.
Extended Regions Felt Effects of Oklahoma Earthquake
A geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey, Jessica Turner, stated that the 4.7 magnitude quake was felt in states surrounding Oklahoma, including Texas and Missouri. The larger 5.6 magnitude quake was felt as far north as some parts of Illinois and Wisconsin.
Turner explained the quakes are occurring along a known fault line, but experts have no idea at this time as to what is causing the increase in seismic activity. The quake was a relatively shallow one by earthquake standards, located 3 miles below ground.
Comparison of Oklahoma Earthquake to East Coast Earthquake
The USGS compared the recent Oklahoma quake to that of the one experienced by the East Coast region on Aug. 23. The East Coast quake, centered in Virginia, was of a 5.8 magnitude and felt from the southern states to Canada. Like the Oklahoma earthquake, there was no major damage from the East Coast quake, although the Washington Monument and the National Cathedral experienced some damage.
Smack dab in the middle of the baby boomer generation, L.L. Woodard is a proud resident of "The Red Man" state. With what he hopes is an everyman's view of life's concerns both in his state and throughout the nation, Woodard presents facts and opinions based on common-sense solutions.
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