A relatively small earthquake last week in Central Kentucky is a reminder that underground shifting is not that rare. A 2.6 magnitude earthquake was detected in the early Thursday morning hours, with the epicenter just east of Burgin.
Kentucky Geological Survey Seismologist Seth Carpenter said the Commonwealth experiences tens of similar earthquakes each year. He noted some research indicates a possible connection between water and earthquakes. Carpenter added it would likely take water getting to the subsurface where a fault ruptures.
“The water, what it would be doing at that point, would be bringing the rupture, which was inevitable, ahead in time a bit of when it would have otherwise ruptured. So, we’re not going to be creating new earthquakes but just releasing them earlier than we would have expected,” said Carpenter.
Carpenter says last week’s minor earthquake in Central Kentucky is still a bit unusual in its location and that it occurred at a deeper depth than some previous quakes.
If water does play any sizeable role in earthquakes, Carpenter said it would not be the amount of water beneath the surface. He said it would more likely be the pressure caused by migration in just the right pathway to a fault. But, he said flooding, like that seen in eastern Kentucky, isn’t a significant predictor.
