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Chicago is experiencing cold weather, which has increased the possibility of a frost quake. The quake is also known as cryoseism in scientific terms, and it happens when the ground freezes at a fast pace, resulting in the expansion of the ice and shifting of the soil at the same time.
Ricky Castro, the meteorologist for the National Weather Service, revealed that the quakes cannot be recorded on a seismograph, and the claims can be confirmed only if the officials receive a concentration of reports in an area, as per WBBM Newsradio.
The quakes are common in places like New England during winter, as per NBC Chicago. Reports of similar quakes have emerged from various parts of Chicago on January 15, 2024, and the temperature has reportedly gone down below -5 or -10 degrees in those places.
The quake can be identified in case someone hears a loud popping sound. Climatologist for Illinois, Trent Ford, also spoke to CBS News and said people don't have to be concerned about the weird sounds. He explained how the sounds emerge and stated,
"When the souls are frozen, and the water within them freezes and expands – because water expands as it freezes – what that can do is actually crack or fracture that frozen ground. And that can experience of either small shaking – in some cases, loud booms."
Chicago has previously experienced multiple frost quakes in 2019 when freezing temperatures led to the death of many people alongside damage to power lines and multiple flight delays, as per Smithsonian Magazine.
Frost quakes happen after temperature witnesses a decrease: Causes, prevention, and more explained
AccuWeather states that a frost quake can be described as a seismic event, and the temperatures are recorded to be going down below the freezing level. The quake is triggered by a fracture or cracks in frozen ground, soil, or rock that is saturated with water and ice and can lead to a loud boom.
According to a report by NBC News in February 2023, the process starts with the water freezing, leading to expansion, followed by stress and pressure, which causes the soil and rocks to crack. The quakes are common in places like Canada alongside the northern regions of the U.S.
A frost quake can happen in certain materials like sand or gravel that are filled with moisture due to rain or snow. The quakes cannot be identified easily since they are similar to normal bangs, as per Popular Science.
Although the quakes are not dangerous, no particular device is available to detect them. Certain factors can lead to a frost quake, and it happens in places that have recorded a high amount of precipitation. As per AccuWeather, the quakes happen easily since the water found below the ground can freeze between 12 and 48 hours.
Finland has experienced a lot of frost quakes since 2016, as per the Independent. The quakes reportedly happened in a day, and researchers discovered in May last year that the climate crisis was a major reason for the same.
New Hampshire also recorded multiple frost quakes in January 2023, and residents reportedly believed the sounds were coming from the roof.
