Ohioseis Earthquake FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions About Ohio Earthquakes

• What was the biggest earthquake in Ohio?
• How big an earthquake could we have in Ohio?
• What is the smallest earthquake that can be felt by people?
• If I live in Ohio, should I purchase earthquake insurance for my home or business?
• How do I know that it was an earthquake I felt rather than a sonic boom or some other cause?
• If I think that I felt an earthquake, should I report it?
• There seems to be more earthquakes in Ohio in recent years. What is causing this?
• Could an earthquake affect my water well?
• What is the greatest earthquake threat to Ohio?
• Earthquakes in Ohio seem to be felt over a larger area than a similar-size earthquake in California. Why is this?
• Why are almost all Ohio earthquakes listed as occurring at a depth of 5 kilometers?
• Have there ever been deaths or injuries from Ohio earthquakes?
• If a big earthquake occurred in New Madrid, Missouri region, would Ohioans have enough time to be warned before the seismic waves hit the state?
• Even with small earthquakes, some areas seem to experience more shaking than other, even nearby, areas. What causes this?
• Someone told me that a big fault, running from Missouri to the St. Lawrence River runs near my town in Ohio. How do I find out where this, or other, faults are in Ohio?
• Ohio is in the middle of a crustal plate. I thought earthquakes only occur at the plate edges, where they are crashing together.
• Could a tsunami occur in Lake Erie?

Last update July 20, 2005
Ohio Seismic Network   http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/OhioSeis