Today's earthquake was 'unprecedented'

MUNCIE — The magnitude 3.8 earthquake that rattled central Indiana this morning was unprecedented in its size and location, according to the state geologist.

“This is highly irregular, extremely rare, unprecedented,” John Steinmetz, director of the Indiana Geological Survey at Indiana University said.

The earthquake happened at 7:55 a.m. It was originally reported as a 4.2 magnitude by the U.S. Geological Survey before being downgraded to the 3.8.

While Indiana is certainly familiar with small to moderate earthquakes, they almost always originate in the Wabash Valley Fault System near Evansville.

The 5.2 magnitude earthquake that shook Indiana, including Muncie, on April 18, 2008, for example, was centered in Mount Carmel, Illinois, where the Wabash and Ohio Rivers converge.

What makes today’s earthquake so rare is that it was centered in Greentown, about 13 miles southeast of Kokomo.

“They are so infrequent in central Indiana,” Steinmetz said.

The Indiana Geological Survey had no records of an earthquake this size in Central Indiana ever. He said he needed more time to research when — if ever — central Indiana had been the center of even a more minor earthquake.

Central Indiana is home to a faultline, the Fortville Fault, which runs through Madison and Hancock counties. But Steinmetz said it was too premature as of 9 a.m. to determine whether the quake originated on the Fortville Fault.

Because seismic activity in central Indiana is rare, relatively little information is known about the geology here.

Delaware County 911 received many phone calls about the earthquake, but no one reported damage or injury.

Steinmetz said the earthquake would be considered light to fairly moderate.

“We should expect little or no damage from something like this,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised though if pictures are tilted on walls or some glassware in cabinets are rearranged.”