@CPPGeophysics Maine towns small #earthquakes

CPPGeophysics Jascha Polet

Maine towns shaken by swarm of small earthquakes: http://tinyurl.com/3hdczsv (causing calls about "gunshots")

http://new.bangordailynews.com/

By Abigail Curtis, BDN Staff

Posted May 03, 2011, at 5:53 p.m.
Last modified May 03, 2011, at 8:03 p.m.

SEARSPORT, Maine — As many as 30 tiny earthquakes have been detected over the last few days in the area between Belfast and Bucksport, but geologists say there’s no cause for alarm.

“Microquakes is what we call them,” Henry Berry, a bedrock geologist with Maine Geological Survey, said in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon. “Unless you were right there, you wouldn’t notice them.”

But plenty of people have been noticing, Searsport Police Chief Dick LaHaye said Tuesday afternoon, just minutes after he dispatched an officer to Savory Road, where a resident had called to inform authorities about another earthquake.

They’ve responded to calls about gunshots and shotgun blasts, calls from people who felt their feet vibrate along with the earth and calls about things falling off shelves — all of which were determined to be related to the earthquake, he said.

“We’ll continue to investigate,” LaHaye said. “There’s obviously something going on. It’s outside of the police purview at this point, but we’ll continue to respond to any and all calls that come in.”