What causes earthquakes in the Carolinas

#weather #charlotte #northcarolina #southcarolina It’s earthquake preparedness week in South Carolina.  An earthquake is an intense shaking of the ground, caused by sudden movements under the Earth’s surface. A South Carolina Geologist Scott Howard says there is a single reason why the Carolinas should take earthquakes seriously. “Charleston 1886," Scott Howard said. "Literally, that’s the reason why. It’s possible. It’s possible even in what’s called a quiet seismically area for a huge earthquake to occur.” Tectonic plates are always in motion. Howard explains, over time, friction builds up in fault zones, once a section of the crust breaks, pent-up pressure releases as a seismic wave. “Eventually, you get to the point when material-rock can’t take it anymore. And as a result, fails," Howard said. "Whether that’s along pre-existing fault plane, which is typically the case, or it creates a new fault plane." Some quakes are caused by humans. They're known as induced quakes and could be the result of tunnel construction and fracking projects. “If you’re squeezing these rocks anyway, and there’s fluid there," Howard explained. "And the more you deform those rocks and squeeze them, the tighter the rocks get, but the fluid doesn’t change... that’s what causes those earthquakes." On average, South Carolina experiences 10-20 earthquakes per year according to the U.S. Geological Survey. You can stream WCNC Charlotte on Roku and Amazon Fire TV, just download the free app. “Here on the east coast, we have no plate contacts, in other words, we’re within a plate," Howard said. "These are referred to as intraplate earthquakes – occurring within a plate. The causes of them are not so straightforward." MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/weather/... Weather IQ is powered by the meteorologists and forecasters at WCNC Charlotte in North Carolina. This channel is dedicated to forecasting, explaining, and educating weather, climate, and atmospheric science to everyone, including teachers, students, and more. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHANNEL:    / @wcncweatheriq   SEE THE WCNC CHARLOTTE WEATHER FORECAST ANYTIME: https://wcnc.com/weather GET SEVERE WEATHER ALERTS. DOWNLOAD THE WCNC CHARLOTTE APP: https://wcnc.com/appredirect