Country Roads

 

August 4, 2022



As Elvis Presley sang in one of his hit songs, “I’m All Shook Up,” that is how many of us in northern Jewell County and southern Nuckols County felt a little over a week ago. A rare event happened on July 17, a peaceful Sunday, when an earthquake was felt. Some reported hearing a bang, and then dishes shook, causing people to wonder what was happening. Moments later it was confirmed an earthquake did occur just south of the Kansas-Nebraska line, southwest of Superior. Within two days, another shaking happened. It was a “follow up” earthquake located within a mile of the Sunday earthquake. Only this time the quake was not as strong, measuring 3.6.

Somewho felt the first earthquake said it was a new experience for them. For my husband and me, though we did not experience this earthquake, we have experienced four other ones where we live in southwest Jewell County. I’ll never forget when the strongest one hit. We were seated eating breakfast. We were startled to hear a big boom and the crystal dishes in my china cabinet began to shake. This same sound of shaking came from within my kitchen cupboards. Even the counter stools seem to shift a little. We agreed instantly what was happening. Then all was calm again. A day later a smaller quake was felt. We would witness two more small earthquakes. The first one we felt, measured around 4 and was centered a few miles west of our farm home.

Most think middle America should be free from the earthquakes. We all have heard of those terrible ones that happen along the west coast destroying houses, business building, stadiums, bridges and roadways. Yet it has happened here.

Through the years it hasn’t been that uncommon to experience earthquakes in Kansas. Thankfully, these quakes have not been strong ones that did a lot of damage. At least 31 earthquakes felt in Kansas were documented in newspapers and by other sources, between 1867 through 1976. Later, earthquakes were documented with seismic equipment. The largest earthquake in Kansas struck in 1867 near Wamego and Manhattan. It was estimated to have a magnitude of 5.0-5.5. When this quake hit, church bells rang, some chimneys tumbled and some foundations cracked. The quake was attributed to the Nemaha Uplift, buried mountain range that crosses diagonally from near Oklahoma City to near Omaha. When the rocks from this buried mountain range shift, it can cause the earthquakes. This mountain range is adjacent to the Humbolt Fault Zone to the east.

Between 1977 to 1989, the Kansas Geological Survey monitored a temporary network of seismometers throughout the state. The equipment recorded more than 200 earthquakes during that time, ranging from M 0.8 to M 4.

In 2013, 17 earthquakes of M 2 or greater were reported in Harper County, Kan. In 2014, one of the largest earth quakes occurred in Sumner County where buildings were destroyed. It was an M 4.9. Also in 2014, the number of registered earthquakes in Kansas topped 100. Most of these were in Sumner and Harper counties, in southern Kansas. From January to July in 2015, more than 100 were recorded in these same southern Kansas areas. Though being recorded does not mean they were felt. According to the KGS, the whole state of Kansas is generally at a low risk for felt earthquakes. Let’s hope it remains that way.

 

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