Earthquakes - What You Should Know in RI

1/30/2020 (Permalink)

Understanding Earthquakes

On Tuesday, January 28th, 2020, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit just 80 miles from Jamaica. The affects were felt as far as Miami and Cuba. This quake came just three weeks after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake in Puerto Rico. In New England, we don't have to worry about earthquakes as much as California or Japan. But, we have experienced a fair share of them. 

An earthquake is what happens when 2 pieces of the Earth slip past each other. Sometimes foreshocks occur. These are little earthquakes that happen in the same place the larger one will occur. Kind of like a warning sign. 

Although there are foreshocks that come before a quake, there is no way for scientists to predict an earthquake. 

Earthquake magnitudes are recorded with seismographs. There is a heavy free hanging weight and is set in the ground. When the earth shakes due to a quake, the seismograph will too, but the weight does not, which will create the graph that determines the magnitude (siesmogram). 

For more information about earthquakes and the different types, click here

If you suffer from any type of storm related damage, call SERVPRO of Northern Rhode Island (401) 949-9955, we're here to help with any size disaster! 

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