GALESBURG, MI (WTVB) – Location Location Location. That’s why Michigan’s earthquakes are so small, like the one this past Saturday afternoon in Kalamazoo County, although it was felt in Branch County and across the region. Earthquake expert and University of Michigan professor Eric Hetland tells WLNS-TV-6, Lansing that unlike the West Coast which was formed by volcanos and earthquakes, Michigan’s surface was left here by the Ice Age and as a result, has plenty of padding between its quakes and civilization.
Hetland says didn’t know there was a fault deep below the surface of southern Michigan before this past weekend’s quake, but they do now thanks to modern earthquake detection gear.
The closer you were to Saturday’s quake, the shakier it got. People around the epicenter of the magnitude 4.2 earthquake say it sounded like a plane crash or a freight train going by the house. Galesburg Police Sergeant Jeff Heppler says people who live near the epicenter are still being told to watch for signs of damage.
The United States Geological Service says the quake occurred over 5 miles below a cornfield near Scotts in Charleston Township.
