LEXINGTON, Ky. — Scientists detected two early morning earthquakes in Kentucky. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) says a 2.3 magnitude earthquake, with an epicenter near Jackson, Kentucky, was detected around 3:30 a.m.
The USGS recorded a second 2.6 magnitude quake about two hours later, with an epicenter just north of Pikeville.
The USGS says it was detected 73 miles away in Charleston, W.Va. Another quake was detected earlier in the morning centered around Mosheim, in East Tennessee, with a 2.0 magnitude.
There were no reports of damage.
If you felt the earthquakes, the USGS would like to hear from you. You can file a report here.
What causes earthquakes?
According to USGS's website, the earth has four major layers: the inner core, outer core, mantle and crust. The crust and the top of the mantle make up a thin skin on the surface of our planet.
That said, this skin is not all in one piece and it is made up of many pieces like a puzzle covering the surface of the earth. Not only that, but these puzzle pieces keep slowly moving around, sliding past one another and bumping into each other. These pieces are called tectonic plates, and the edges of the plates are called the plate boundaries. The plate boundaries are made up of many faults, and most of the earthquakes around the world occur on these faults. Since the edges of the plates are rough, they get stuck while the rest of the plate keeps moving. Finally, when the plate has moved far enough, the edges unstick on one of the faults and there is an earthquake.
Read information on the science of earthquakes here.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.
