What Were the Loud Booms in Warrick County?
Many people heard some loud booms in Warrick County yesterday and had no idea what they were. Here's what they were.
Yesterday, I saw so many posts on Facebook from folks talking about some unexplained booms in Warrick County. Many people messaged me asking if I knew anything about it. Since I was at work in downtown Evansville, I didn't hear anything. All I knew about them was from what I saw on Facebook. So, I made it my mission to do a little digging to find out what exactly was going on. There were several theories, some of which were pretty humorous. Many people were wondering if it could have been from the coal mines, some thought it was an explosion. Then, there was one theory that I saw that had me scratching my head because I had never heard of this phenomenon before. So, I reached out to Eyewitness News Chief Meteorologist, Wayne Hart for a little insight.
What Were Those Loud Booms in Warrick County?
One of those theories as to what the booms were was something called a "frost quake." I had no idea what that was, but I knew that Wayne Hart would. So, I reached out to him about the booms and frost quakes. He told me that yes, frost quakes are a real thing and they happen around here when it gets really cold...much like it has been.
So, What Are Frost Quakes?
According to AccuWeather:
Frost quakes are seismic events that are weather-related. A seismic event is any activity that causes vibrations within the earth, particularly its crust. Frost quakes are naturally-occurring phenomena caused by the freezing and expansion of water deep within the earth's crust, which results in the cracking of the ground, rock, etc., in the vicinity of the frozen water.
AccuWeather goes on to say that frost quakes typically occur in quick freeze situations like we have seen here in southern Indiana this week. The website further explains:
Vibrations from frost quakes are not felt above ground like those caused by earthquakes, but they do produce rather loud booming sounds. These booms have been reported to be loud enough to wake people up from a deep sleep in nearby homes in some instances. The vibrations from frost quakes are often strong enough to be measured and recorded on a seismometer, also known as a seismograph, which is a device used to measure ground movement during events like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc.
So there you have it. That's most likely what so many people heard in Warrick County yesterday. It's important to remember this in the future when the weather is just right and you hear random loud booms in the area. That way you don't have to wonder what exactly is going on. I hope this article gives folks some answers as well as some peace of mind in regard to those loud booms.
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