Minor Earthquake Friday here in Philadelphia(!)

[PCIntern]

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/20110529_1_7-magnitude_quake_makes_noise_in_N_E__Phila_.html


1.7-magnitude quake makes noise in N.E. Phila.

A 1.7-magnitude earthquake caused the rumbling reported by dozens in Northeast Philadelphia late Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey said Saturday. No significant damage was reported.

The micro-temblor, which some said could be felt as far away as Bensalem, struck just after 9:30 p.m. with an epicenter just blocks from the Franklin Mills Mall.

Government seismologists had said Friday that an earthquake was not to blame for the boom reported by residents near the intersection of Knights and Fairdale Roads, but they revised their findings on their website Saturday.

Friday's quake was the second in the Philadelphia region this month. The Geological Survey recorded a 1.9-magnitude disturbance May 10 in Westampton. - Jeremy Roebuck

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Interesting...I've lived here all my life and the last one of these I recall feeling was in the late 50's...what's also weird is that during the day on Friday, well before the micro-temblor, there was a gigantic boom in Center City or its environs which shook the windows and it lasted for at least 6-7 seconds and I have no idea what that was...it sounded like a real explosion, like the one that happened many years ago inside an empty tanker or freighter at the Port. I remarked upon the noise at the time and looked out the window to see if there was any smoke or debris flying, that's how loud it was. If we have any kind of real quake here, we're all dead: none of the stone buildings will survive and they are the predominant office/residential material in our old city.

[drm604]

1. I remember being woken up by one in Norristown in the 60s,

or possibly the early 70s, I don't recall exactly. (For those who don't know, Norristown is in the Philly suburbs). I woke up feeling like someone had picked up the foot of my bed and dropped it to the floor. I went back to sleep thinking it was a dream then learned of the earthquake the next day.

[dkofos]

2. Fracking??

[PCIntern]

3. I doubt it...we're way east of that....

over the years we've had some really minor activity...kinda interesting that we had one we could actually sense while all this is going on elsewhere...