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May 12, 2006
EARTHQUAKE FELT IN LIMA ON THURSDAY EVENING
Ohio Seismic Network records 2.8 magnitude quake
COLUMBUS, OH - The Ohio Seismic Network recorded an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 2.8 at 9:51 p.m. on Thursday, May 11, in the City of Lima in Allen County, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
Initial data indicates the earthquake was centered on the east side of Lima. No damage was reported, although the earthquake was strongly felt by many residents. This community is in the western Ohio Seismic Zone.
“These small earthquakes are important because they occur more frequently and help to identify the location of faults that may periodically produce larger, potentially damaging earthquakes,” said Michael Hansen, coordinator of the Ohio Seismic Network.
The network consists of 25 volunteer cooperative seismograph stations located at colleges, universities and other institutions throughout Ohio. The ODNR Division of Geological Survey coordinates the network, which is managed from the Ohio Earthquake Information Center at the division’s facility at Alum Creek State Park in Delaware County. Each seismic station in the network continuously records ground motion for detection and location of local and regional earthquakes. All stations are connected to the Internet for real-time data access by researchers.
Ohio has felt more than 190 earthquakes since 1776 and 15 of them have caused damage. Ohio’s most seismically active regions are northeast Ohio along Lake Erie in Lake and Ashtabula counties, as well as western Ohio, including Shelby, Allen, and Auglaize counties. The largest earthquake in Ohio was a 5.4 magnitude event on March 9, 1937. It caused considerable damage in the Village of Anna in Shelby County.
Anyone who feels an earthquake is encouraged to report it on the Ohio Seismic Network web site at ohiodnr.com/ohioseis.
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