ELGIN, S.C. — Is the swarm making a comeback?
The US Geological Survey (USGS) reports a small earthquake occurring around 10:04 a.m. neat Elgin, South Carolina. The magnitude 1.8 quake is the second small tremor reported since the magnitude 2.2 earthquake recorded around 12:30 p.m. Friday in the same area.
Mid-June 2023 was the last time an earthquake had been reported in the area. That one, a magnitude 2 was closer to I-20 and Fort Jackson.
The Elgin area has experienced 89 earthquakes of varying sizes since late December 2001, what scientists consider an earthquake "swarm." So far in 2023, only five small quakes have been reported by the USGS.
What caused the swarm still hasn't been definitively determined, but last year, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources released a report that suggested the nearby Lake Wateree could be responsible. They believe the initial earthquake may have allowed water from the Wateree River to seep into new cracks that opened from the original December earthquake, which set off additional tremors in the area.
Monday morning's quake was located 1.7 kilometers (1 mile) east-northeast of Elgin at a depth of 4.7 km (2.92 miles).
Earthquakes happen throughout the state but mostly occur near the coast. Approximately 70 percent of earthquakes are in the coastal plain, with most happening in the Lowcountry.
Back in 1886, Charleston was hit by a catastrophic earthquake. It had an estimated magnitude of 7.3, and was felt as far away and Cuba and New York. At least 60 people were killed, and thousands of building were damaged.