Small earthquake rattles Middle Georgia town
Earthquake in Sparta explainer
The small town of Sparta, Ga. was the epicenter of a small, but sudden earthquake this week. The USGS says it registered as a magnitude 2.5 quake on the Richter scale. FOX 5 Storm Team meteorologist Jonathan Stacey explains what that means and how it relates to other quakes we've felt in the area.
SPARTA, Ga. - Some folks who live in Middle Georgia were suddenly awakened in the middle of the night after a small earthquake shook the ground.
The small town of Sparta, Georgia, about 90 miles southeast of metro Atlanta, was the epicenter of that small, but sudden quake.
The United States Geological Survey says it registered as a magnitude 2.5 quake on the Richter scale when it rattled the rural community just before 2:30 Monday morning.
It reached depths of almost seven miles below the earth's surface.
While a number of people in the area reported feeling tremors, there were no reports of damage or aftershocks.
After all, a 2.5 quake is on the weaker end of the spectrum.
However, this area is no stranger to quakes. In September, another 2.5-magnitude earthquake hit Jackson, Georgia.
Some researchers suggest the changing of water levels of nearby Lake Sinclair may be to blame for this seismic activity.