Unlike earthquakes, they are not caused by tectonic plates, but rather, cold conditions.
Also known as cryoseisms, they can be loud enough to jolt people awake in the middle of the night, according to AccuWeather, which describes them as "cracks and booms" that "may have people thinking they felt an earthquake during the upcoming Arctic outbreak, but the unusual phenomenon has roots in the bitterly cold winter weather." (See the first image above.)
Frost quakes most often occur in the Northeast and northern Plains. "But any place with saturated ground and rapid freeze cycles could experience them," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty.
The Maine Geological Survey says they produce "ground shaking and noises similar to an earthquake, but is caused by sudden deep freezing of the ground.
"They typically occur in the first cold snap of the year when temperatures drop from above freezing to below zero, particularly if there is no snow cover to insulate the ground.
"The primary way that they are recognized is that, in contrast to an earthquake, the effects of a cryoseism are very localized. In some cases, people in houses a few hundred yards away do not notice anything."
After a storm dumped snow, sleet, and rain over a massive area on overnight Saturday, Jan. 18 through Sunday, Jan. 19, a deep freeze has arrived on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 20, with wind-chill values around zero degrees into single digits. (Click on the second image above.)
“The cold air will have wide-reaching impacts on everyday life and the economy, such as stressed power grids due to increased heating demands, closed schools, health impacts" along with dangerous wind-chill values, said AccuWeather Meteorologist Haley Taylor.
The coldest days during the frigid stretch will be Monday through Wednesday, Jan. 22. Temperatures will gradually start to rise to near seasonal averages for this time of year starting Thursday, Jan. 23.
Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Thomaston and receive free news updates.