SC’s ninth earthquake of 2022 continues the rumbling in Columbia area

The aftershocks continue to rumble through the Midlands as another earthquake was confirmed in the Columbia area Wednesday night.

A 1.6 magnitude earthquake was recorded near Elgin at 8:08 p.m., according to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division.

The earthquake that was recorded at a depth of 5 kilometers, or about 3 miles, was the ninth in South Carolina since the start of the new year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Eight of the quakes have been in the Midlands.

Anyone who felt the earthquake can report it to the USGS.

This continues a recent trend of seismic activity. Prior to Wednesday, the most recent incident was a 1.8 magnitude quake on Jan. 15.

In all, 15 earthquakes have hit the Columbia area since Dec. 27, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

No major damage or injuries have been reported from any of the recent quakes.

Earthquakes that register 2.5 magnitude or less often go unnoticed and are usually only recorded by a seismograph, according to Michigan Technological University. Any quake less than 5.5 magnitude is not likely to cause significant damage, the school said.

It is typical for South Carolina to have between six and 10 earthquakes a year, the S.C. Geological Survey previously reported. There have been 39 earthquakes in South Carolina since Jan. 18, 2021, according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.

There were at least 11 earthquakes recorded by the USGS in South Carolina in 2020.

Following Wednesday’s activity, 29 earthquakes have been recorded since Sept. 27, 2020, in the Palmetto State, according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.

Of the earthquakes confirmed in South Carolina since the start of 2021, 26 occurred in the Midlands, S.C. Department of Natural Resources data shows.

Reported earthquakes in SC in 2021-22