Fireball Over Michigan: Did Meteor Really Cause an Earthquake?

[Judi Lynn]

By Laura Geggel, Live Science Senior Writer | January 17, 2018 02:40pm ET

The earthshaking rumblings felt in Michigan last night weren't an earthquake, but rather vibrations from a booming noise caused by a meteor whizzing overhead, according to the National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC).

On Tuesday evening (Jan. 16), people in Ohio, Michigan and Ontario, Canada, were treated to the awe-inspiring view of a meteor streaking across the night sky. At 8:09 p.m. local time in southeastern Michigan, hundreds of people reported hearing a loud boom from the meteor and feeling the ground shake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

"People described it as a booming noise, and that's what the seismometers would have picked up," said John Bellini, a geophysicist at the NEIC in Golden, Colorado. [When Space Attacks: The 6 Craziest Meteor Impacts]

It's not uncommon for non-earthquake vibrations to register on seismometers. For instance, the instruments can record shaking from thunderstorms, heavy construction and even trucks moving on the highway, Bellini said.

More:
https://www.space.com/39407-did-meteor-cause-michigan-earthquake.html?utm_source=notification

[SWBTATTReg]

1. Wow! Sensitive!

I didn't realize this could happen and I thought I was pretty well read up on this kind of events...thanks for FYI.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. Do you remember that meteor that was filmed in some Russian city a few years back?

I am sure it can still be seen..and heard...on YouTube.

all these cars are driving into the city, early am,, so to work, presumably, and a fireball comes across the horizon, followed a few seconds later by window rattling booms and bangs..LOUD noises. A rather long series of the noises as it moves along the sky, like sonic booms.

[SWBTATTReg]

4. Yes, I do now...thanks for reminding me...I've recorded it too (it was on ...

my PBS channel, a whole hour on it, very informative...I've forgotten how these things can impact the earth w/o even hitting the earth...thanks for the post, very informative...take care!

[csziggy]

2. When I was a kid we'd watch the Saturn launches from Kennedy Space Center

My Dad did the math - we could watch the take offs on TV and just about the time the rockets were getting small on the screen, we'd run outside to see the fireball of the Saturn emerge over the garage of the house across the street.

Dad also figured out the timing for the rumble of the launch so just after we saw the fireball we could feel the sound that the Saturns made as they pushed people into orbit.

My hometown is about ninety miles from Cape Canaveral and we could FEEL the launches!

I'm not surprised that a large meteor would cause a rumble that could be felt, too.

[SWBTATTReg]

5. How neat and how lucky you are to see these launches...

Had to be quite an experience you'll never forget!!

[csziggy]

6. I wish I'd been able to see one from closer

But it was still cool to see them at all!