Have you heard a distant rumble or “boom” in recent days?
It could have been a frost quake, said Jeri Jones of Jones Geological Services in Spring Grove.
Some residents around York County have reported hearing such noises in recent days. They live in the Dover area, Hellam Township and Springettsbury Township, he said.
One man who lives in Thomasville said it sounded like someone slammed his basement door shut. It happened twice − about 10 to 15 minutes apart − and the house shook, he said in a Facebook post.
Frost quakes, also known as cryoseisms, have not been reported over the past couple of winters, which were mild, Jones said.
What causes a frost quake?
The recent frost quakes are caused by a combination of the weather and the moisture in the ground, Jones said.
Storms delivered several inches of snow to the area last week, and it was bitter cold over the weekend, causing the ground to freeze.
This week, temperatures have been rising, and the mercury could reach into the 60s by Friday. The ground is thawing out, and the earth is moving to fill a void, according to WGAL-8’s Storm Team.