![]() They are more frequent in Canada and the U.S. What is the difference between frost quakes and earth quakes?įrost quakes are very shallow seismic events, unlike earthquakes that are caused my the moving of tectonic plates deep within the earth’s crust.įrost quakes can happen anywhere the temperatures can change from above freezing to below zero rapidly. There have been rare cases of small cracks in the ground, driveways, foundations, or roads thought to be caused by frost quakes. Frost Quake FAQsĮven though frost quakes may cause the ground to shake, there is not enough power in frost quakes to do any major damage to structures. People report that the frost quakes make a sound like an explosion or like something is hitting their house. In rare cases, frost quakes can cause the ground to crack. ![]() Sometimes, this stress cracks the soil and rock with such force that it creates a loud sound and could even cause the ground to shake. This frozen water expands and causes stress on the soil and rock around it. The extreme temperature drop causes the water in the saturated ground to freeze. Learn more about the Science Of Frost What Is A Frost Quake?įrost quakes, or cryoseisms, are rare geological phenomena that occurs in when the ground or rock is saturated with water and there is an extreme drop in temperature, usually from above freezing to below zero. ![]() Then, the experts offered to clear things up by saying these noises were nothing to worry about and were caused by frost quakes. News started reporting strange popping and exploding noises all across the region. The brutal polar vortex swept in bringing with it wickedly low wind chills and a crazy phenomena called frost quakes. A deep freeze set in, and the temps went from 40 to almost zero nearly overnight. In true midwest fashion, the weather changed rapidly a few days later. The creek behind our house ran high and fast. I have lived here my whole life and thought I had experienced it all, until the frost quakes.Ī few weeks ago, we had a lot of rain. The summers are sweltering, hot, and humid, and the winters are frigid, windy, and snow-covered. There can be tornadoes and blizzards in the same week. We might have 80 degrees one day and 30 degrees the next. It went to 38 below and each time I was falling asleep, I would hear another ,” she noted.In the midwest, we have crazy weather. Her concern now is just trying to get a good night’s rest. “I’m still not sure if the noise was the ground cracking or the house shifting as well as the ground moving,” she said. Smith is still wrapping her head around the naturally-occurring phenomena. “If you start to see significant cracking or shifting in your walls… well that’s another issue, but that’s extremely rare,” Yungwirth said. Structurally, that’s not an issue either since they tend to drop back down when the temperature warms. Yungwirth said homeowners may even experience truss uplift where the top floor ceilings literally lift off the interior walls in the winter. Houses are designed to withstand things like that.” ![]() “What you’re getting is maybe a fastener or nail letting go a little bit or the wood moving against another piece of wood and that’s what you hear. “It’s the structural components of your house moving slightly because of the temperature differential between the inside and outside,” Yungwirth said. While booms and cracks in and around your house can be alarming, they’re not a cause for concern according to local contractor Dan Yungwirth with Miller Contracting.
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