Evansville, Indiana Earthquake

First Posting | Summary
Posting Date: June 18, 2002, 1:00:00 PM

A moderate earthquake has occurred in southern Indiana today, June 18, 2002, at 12:37 p.m. local time (17:37 UTC). The quake was centered about 10 miles (15 km) northwest of Evansville, Indiana and about 145 miles (230 km) southwest of Indianapolis, the state capital. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates the magnitude at 5.0 and the depth at about 3 miles (5 km). Early reports indicate the quake was felt in parts of Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio and West Virginia. There have been reports of chimney damage and broken glass in the Evansville area. The sources of seismicity in the central U.S. are less well understood than in the case of the Western U.S. The Wabash Valley Seismic Zone in the southwest of Indiana and the New Madrid Seismic Zone are the two principal regions for which there is evidence of intraplate seismic activity. Geologists believe that earthquakes here are generated by traces of ancient faults. Indiana suffered quake damage in 1968 from a magnitude 5.3 earthquake that originated in southern Illinois and that was felt over 580,000 square miles and 23 states. The AIR earthquake team has run scenarios based on the currently available information and results indicate that insured losses will be minimal. AIR will continue to monitor events in this area and post additional information if necessary.

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Posting Date: June 18, 2002, 1:00:00 PM