M 3.3 - 5 km SSW of Lugoff, South Carolina

Tectonic Summary

This earthquake is part of a sequence of earthquakes in central South Carolina that began on December 27, 2021 with an M3.3 earthquake near Lugoff, South Carolina. From December 27, 2021 to January 5, 2022, there were 10 earthquakes in this sequence spanning M1.5 to M3.3. Five of the earthquakes in this sequence were M2.5 or larger. The earthquakes have occurred at relatively shallow depths of 5 km or less. Several of these earthquakes have associated “Did You Feel It?” reports indicating that the earthquakes have been locally felt. Shaking in these earthquakes has not been at levels that typically lead to damage. As is common for earthquakes in the eastern United States, shaking from an earthquake extends greater distances from the epicenter and is generally felt by more people than earthquakes of similar magnitudes in the western United States.

Earthquakes are not uncommon in the vicinity of the 2021-2022 South Carolina sequence, and most of these prior earthquakes were small. The largest regional earthquake was the M4.8 1913 Union County, SC, earthquake about 90 km northwest of the recent earthquakes. Earthquakes have occurred periodically around the Monticello Reservoir ~30 km west of the 2021-2022 sequence since the 1970s. The 2021-2022 sequence is additionally located ~140 km northwest of the ~M7 1886 Charleston earthquake. The 2021-2022 sequence is not associated with the seismic zone of the 1886 earthquake.

Key Points

- An ongoing earthquake sequence began in central South Carolina near the towns of Elgin and Lugoff on December 27, 2021 with an M3.3 earthquake.

- Through the first week and a half of this sequence, there have been 10 earthquakes of M1.5 or larger, and none have exceeded M3.3.

- Several of the earthquakes have been felt locally, as is common for even small earthquakes in the eastern United States. None of the earthquakes so far have produced shaking intensities where damage to buildings is expected.

- Small magnitude earthquakes like these are relatively common in South Carolina, and the ongoing earthquake sequence does not reflect abnormal seismic behavior.

- This earthquake sequence is not related to the region of seismicity associated with the great 1886 Charleston earthquake.

- In October 2021 there was a series of seven earthquakes – some felt - near Jenkinsville, South Carolina and the Monticello Reservoir. The current earthquake sequence is not related to those earthquakes.