Recent research suggests that seismic activity in certain regions of the central and eastern United States could be aftershocks from major earthquakes that occurred in the 19th century. Long after these historic quakes, the area may still experience aftershocks along with normal seismic activity.
Shockwaves that follow large earthquakes can persist for weeks or even decades. The study scrutinized seismic data from three past earthquakes, suggesting that contemporary seismic activity in these areas might be the outcome of prolonged aftershocks fused with regular seismic incidents. The aftershocks that follow large quakes can continue for days to years after the original tremor, causing potential damage to infrastructure and recovery efforts from the first earthquake.
In a recent study, a geoscientist at Wuhan University and lead author, Yuxuan Chen stated, “We wanted to view this from another angle using a statistical method,” they shared. Furthermore, earthquakes from centuries ago, like the 1886 event in Charleston, South Carolina still send aftershocks through various locations, stated Christopher Li, a geologist at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.
