Chicago recently experienced a phenomenon known as “ice quakes,” characterized by loud sounds and small earthquake-like tremors during a cold snap. These events, officially called cryoseisms, occur following a sudden freezing of the ground and have been reported in several parts of the USA.
Although they may be disturbing, they do not represent a real danger and they rarely cause significant harm.
Andrew Leung, a researcher at the University of Toronto Scarborough’s Climate Lab, investigated the phenomenon as part of his doctorate. Using social media posts and climate data analysis, he mapped frost quakes in Ontario and nearby regions in 2013 and 2014, most frequently reported at night or during the night.
In northern Finland, a series of relatively strong frost quakes in the city of Oulu generated concern after the seismic phenomenon damaged a house in 2016 and caused roads to crack that year and again in 2021 (while in Mexico strange lights have been spotted in the sky).
During the winter of 2022 and 2023, a team of Finnish researchers deployed two networks of seismic instruments to investigate further. The researchers found 11 frost earthquakes near Oulu and 34 further north near Sodankylä during the study period.
The researchers found that these events are more likely when the temperature drops rapidly to plus minus 20 degrees Celsius at a rate of about 1 degree per hour and they occur in wetlands and swamps, where water accumulates. These areas typically had snow cover, so the discovery surprised the research team.
To understand whether frost quakes are increasing, the team plans to monitor the same areas this winter and next. Moisio said wetter winters and less stable winter temperatures due to climate change could lead to more frequent similar events. By the way, do you know that the earthquake in Japan moved the coast by 250 meters?