GARRARD COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — According to the United States Geological Survey, a 2.8 magnitude earthquake struck Garrard County near High Bridge over the weekend. The quake is considered a rare geological event for central Kentucky.
University of Kentucky Seismologist Dr. Seth Carpenter noted this is the first earthquake to affect Garrard County in more than 7 years.
"We would say that this area has experienced only a few earthquakes, and our records only go back to say 1980 or so, with good digital data that we can use to study them," Carpenter added. "And since then, we've seen 5 or 6 or so earthquakes in this area," Carpenter said.
What makes this earthquake particularly unusual is its depth. According to Carpenter, it reached nearly 20 miles below the surface.
"Those earthquakes have happened at a greater depth than we normally see earthquakes happen in this part of the world, most earthquakes would happen about 10 miles down or so," Carpenter said.
Despite its relatively weak magnitude, Carpenter emphasized that studying such events is crucial for understanding why they occur and potentially predicting future earthquakes.
"And again, it makes our region worthy of study, even to understand the science behind it. But where we're interested also is understanding the hazard and how it can affect people," concluded Carpenter. "Earthquakes happening in the middle of tectonic plate, although it's strange, it's not rare," Carpenter said.
