Those who reside in and around North Conway once perceived an earthquake to be an aspect of life far from the beauty of the area. At 6:50AM on Saturday, April 20th, it was learned that even the beauty of northern New Hampshire could not guarantee peaceful ground. At this time, a moderate earthquake woke many in the area, as well as much of the northeastern United States. This earthquake, which measured to be 5.1 on the Richter scale, shook the region at a seemingly substantial clip for upwards of one minute. Houses creaked, beds vibrated, objects rattled, and wall hangings shifted.
Many people who experienced the earthquake were swarming in great wonder as to what the cause was. While the exact cause of the recent earthquake continues to be unknown, the general cause is known. When stresses heat up deep within the ground, a sudden release of pressure is forced in a short period of time. This creates vast movement. The piece of rock that did move can range greatly. A shallow earthquake, like the one that recently took place, occurs no more then twenty-five miles under the ground.
News reports about the earthquake buzzed continuously on the Internet and the television for the hours and days that followed. A common attribute to the reports was that the earthquake was a rare occurrence. Though this may be true to a point, the reports held an amount of contradictory headlining. In fact, a recent study completed this week has produced a result that earthquakes are more common then one may think! Generally, an earthquake of 4.0 to 5.0 magnitude affects New Hampshire one to three times during a ten-year duration. However, every day there are earthquakes that occur. Many of these are felt unnoticed.
Would you believe that the largest earthquake ever in New Hampshire occurred near Ossippee Lake? On December 20, 1940, an earthquake jolted the region with level six damage. With the epicenter occurring near Ossippee Lake, Tamworth sustained the most damage. The most common damage reports included chimneys toppling, monuments being displaced, and furniture braking. The earthquake was so strong that areas as far away as New Brunswick, Quebec, and New Jersey had felt the shifting of the earth.
Earthquakes are a part of the earth's changing landscape. For as long as the earth exists, so will the earthquakes. The recent earthquake that occurred near Plattsburg, New York, proves that living in New Hampshire does not remove the threat of earthquakes. Certainly, it forced many to become worrisome, but we are fortunate that earthquakes occur only on a minor scale.