Yes, 'Frost Quakes' Are A Real Thing In Pennsylvania

[Judi Lynn]

Kara Seymour 2 hrs ago

As an arctic mass of bitter cold air descends on the region, we have a lot to look forward to: whipping winds, frozen pipes, and generally painful outdoor experiences.

Oh and now there's one more thing, apparently: "frost quakes."


Frost quakes are a real thing, and they've been reported in Pennsylvania as well as across the midwest, which is bracing for some of the coldest temperatures in decades.

A frost quake, is a seismic event potentially caused by a sudden cracking in soil or rock that's frozen due to being saturated with ice or water. According to Indiana-based television network WLFI, frost quakes are not known to cause injuries or damage and are commonly heard at night when it's quieter.

More:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/yes-frost-quakes-are-a-real-thing-in-pennsylvania/ar-BBSYB2y?li=BBnb7Kz

[FirstLight]

1. That's narly

We are going to see some stuff from climate change we have never known before...
Our distant ancestors may have seen this stuff during ice ages, but they had no way to tell us...

[sweetloukillbot]

2. My wife's friends and family in Iowa were hearing strange pops and groans last night

They thought it might be their houses settling or something, I wonder if it might have been this?

[2naSalit]

4. When it gets that cold around here

usually once or twice during a winter at least, outer parts of buildings will make contracting sounds. A steel roof/siding made some pretty loud bangs but so will wooden door frames and whatever.

[defacto7]

3. Yeah, cryosisms have been around for ever.

There's a big rise in this deep freeze right now. My daughter called me about them last night when she was hearing them in Illinois. I remember them from the big freeze in, I think 1980. The gound buckled up under the foundation of my house and broke a couple of ouside brick walls as well.