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The Associated Press | Northern Star
Mike Dunkel, 57, owner of the Wagon Wheel Discount Liquor cleans up damaged stock in his Mt. Carmel liquor store Friday morning after an early morning earthquake struck in the Midwest. Aftershocks continued through the weekend until Monday. Philip Carpenter, professor of geology and environment science at NIU, said that he expects aftershocks to continue for the next few days. A 4.0 magnitude aftershock was reported Monday at 12:38 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Society
NIU feels earthquake aftershocks
There have been 15 aftershocks in Illinois since Friday morning’s earthquake, including one early Monday morning.
The initial earthquake was a 5.2 magnitude at 4:37 a.m. Friday in southern part Illinois.
The earthquake then made its way to DeKalb in just one minute, said Philip Carpenter, professor of geology and environmental sciences.
The 15 aftershocks experienced from the earthquake all had a magnitude of 4.5 or less.
The aftershocks include one of 4.0 magnitude at 12:40 a.m. Monday morning near Mt. Carmel, Ill.
Carpenter said aftershocks are due to broken faults in the ground.
“When an earthquake happens, a break in a fault is made. While the fault is still broken, aftershocks are experienced,” he said.
Carpenter said earthquakes are not entirely uncommon in Illinois.
“About every five years, we feel an earthquake,” he said. “This is something that usually occurs in southern Illinois.”
Carpenter said this is because the southern part of Illinois is more seismically active.
He also said that an earthquake having a magnitude around 5.0 is not a serious one.
“A magnitude of five is typically considered a moderate earthquake,” Carpenter said.
The last notable earthquakes that happened in Illinois were in 2002, with a magnitude of 5.1, and 1987, with a magnitude of 5.0.
» Next Campus Article: April 22, 2008