Country Herald is Local News, Independent Pulse. Covering breaking local news, sports, lifestyle and events.
Charlotte, NC – As arctic air moves in, residents from Charlotte to Raleigh may soon be awakened by mysterious booms echoing through the night — but it’s not thunder or blasting. According to the North Carolina Geological Survey, these startling winter sounds are likely frost quakes — sudden cracking events in the frozen ground caused by sharp drops in temperature.
Known scientifically as cryoseisms, frost quakes form when rain or melting snow seeps into the ground, then freezes too quickly. As the trapped moisture expands into ice, it builds pressure underground until the frozen soil suddenly splits apart, releasing energy with a thunder-like crack or rumble…