1.8 magnitude ‘microearthquake’ in Spencerville shook Howard County Monday

An earthquake Monday night in Montgomery County that measured a magnitude of 1.8 on the Richter scale shook up residents as far away as Columbia, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The earthquake’s epicenter was in Spencerville. It was felt in the surrounding region just before 11:30 p.m., Monday, according to USGS. Its effects were felt in Hickory Ridge and Columbia, according to people who live in the area who posted on Reddit and other social media sites.

Many reported hearing a big boom, almost as though something was hitting a house or had been dropped, according to a few neighbors in Hickory Ridge. The 5.9 kilometer deep earthquake is one of three in Maryland so far this year, according to USGS.

Howard County police received about 10 calls to report a loud noise along the Route 29 and Route 32 intersection Monday night, according to a department spokesperson. Officers checked the area and did not determine a cause for the noise, the spokesperson said, and police are unaware of any impacts of the earthquake on Howard County.

Despite the earthquake’s low ranking on the Richter scale, which measures the strength of earthquakes, it could also be detected in Wilmington, Delaware, and Washington, according to USGS. Its 1.8 magnitude classifies it as a “microearthquake” – below a magnitude of 2.0, according to USGS.

Thomas Pratt, a research geophysicist with USGS, said earthquakes can occur at many times during any given day. What made this one different, Pratt said, was its shallow depth. Being closer to the surface of the Earth makes the intensity of the earthquake higher and more likely to be felt, he said.

Fault lines, which cause earthquakes, extend under the Earth’s surface, Pratt added. If an earthquake’s magnitude exceeds 4 to 4.5, it could start to cause damage and shake surfaces, he said.