Peabody Earthquakes Pique Interest Of U.S. Geological Survey

Peabody MA

18 August, 2021

4:04 PM

Description

PEABODY, MA — Concerned Peabody residents aren't the only ones who want to know more about what is going on with all the shaking and rattling going on in the city in recent months. The Peabody Municipal Light Company said on Wednesday: "We feel the quakes at PMLP too" and that the U.S. Geological Survey has asked that residents report any disturbances "so they can start collecting more data on them." Information can be reported here. For the second time in two weeks on Aug. 4, the city recorded a small earthquake with the Geological Survey citing a 1.2 magnitude event. The previous weekend, a 1.4 earthquake was measured in Peabody. While those earthquakes may account for some of the noise and rumblings that residents have experienced in recent weeks, experts say that level of seismic activity is often unnoticeable — leaving some to question on social media whether something greater is in the mix. The city has dealt with several unexplained rocking and rumbling in recent months, including one episode this winter when residents reported loud booms they said shook houses and sounded like explosions. Peabody fire and police investigated the reports in February — even sending out drones and trained K9 units the next day in hopes of finding a source for the blasts that some residents claimed caused cracks in their ceilings. But, despite exhaustive research of similar incidents across the country and consulting a Salem State University team that studies weather-related phenomenon, police said they never determined a firm reason for the blasts, and concluded they were most likely a "naturally occurring incident." Did you find this article useful? Invite a friend to subscribe to Patch. (Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at [email protected]. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.) More Patch Coverage: Small Earthquake Gives Peabody Bit Of A Shake Peabody Police Use Drones, K9 Units To Investigate 'Explosions'