7 earthquakes detected near Columbia this week, highest magnitude was 3.3

Sarah Sheridan and Tamia Boyd, Greenville News
·2 min read

A 3.3-magnitude earthquake was felt Monday in the middle of South Carolina about 30 miles from Columbia and was one of four detected throughout the day and one of seven overall this week.

At 2:18 p.m. Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey detected the earthquake's epicenter about three miles northeast of Lugoff, around a two-hour drive from Greenville.

The quake had a depth of about two miles, according to a preliminary report from the USGS. The earthquake was originally reported with a magnitude of 2.7, but the USGS updated the measurement to 3.3 about an hour later.

The last earthquake with a magnitude higher than 3.0 reported in the state was on Sept. 9, with a 3.3-magnitude earthquake near Charleston, according to the USGS.

The 3.3-magnitude earthquake wasn't the only earthquake in the Columbia area this week as six others were detected near Lugoff or Elgin, according to the USGS.

  • A 2.4-magnitude earthquake was detected at 2:11 p.m. Friday near Elgin with a depth of around 1.8 miles.

  • A 2.5-magnitude earthquake was detected at 7:11 a.m. Thursday near Elgin with a depth of around 300 ft.

  • A 2.3-magnitude earthquake was detected at 4:12 a.m. Wednesday near Elgin with a depth of close to four miles.

  • A 2.5-magnitude earthquake was detected at 5:38 p.m. Monday near Lugoff with a depth of around 1.5 miles.

  • A 2.1-magnitude earthquake was detected at 6:22 p.m. Monday near Elgin with a depth of around 0.4 miles.

  • A 1.7-magnitude earthquake was detected at 10:03 p.m. Monday near Elgin with a depth of around three miles.

The number of earthquakes that came this week was not uncommon for the state.

In late October, seven earthquakes were reported in Jenkinsville, South Carolina in one week, according to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division.

None of them caused any damage, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Most earthquakes occur on the edges of tectonic plates, but what has gone on here in South Carolina are intraplate earthquakes, which occur within the interior of a plate, according to the USGS. The closest plate margin to the state is in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

Sarah Sheridan is the community reporter in Anderson. She'd appreciate your help telling important stories; reach her at ssheridan@gannett.com or on twitter @saralinasher.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: 7 earthquakes detected in South Carolina, highest at 3.3-magnitude