Department of Geology
The Mount Union College Geology Department operates a seismic station (MUCO) as part of the State's OhioSeis network to monitor earthquakes in Ohio. Located on the lower of Bracy Hall the seismometer (pictured at right) monitors earthquakes from around the world.
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As an example, the seismic record at right is for the April 20, 2002 earthquake outside of Plattsburg, NY made by our seismometer. The quake was far to small to be felt in Ohio but was easily detected by our seismometer. The seismometer can detect large earthquakes from around the world.
Though most people think of places like California when discussing earthquakes, Ohio also has earthquakes. The Ohio Geological Survey has documented over 170 earthquakes occurring since 1776 in Ohio. The map at right shows the location of these quakes. Larger circles represent larger earthquakes. Though Ohio earthquakes have tended to be less frequent and smaller than earthquakes in places like California, they can be large enough to do damage.
This seismic activity struck close to home in August 2000 when a 3.0 earthquake occurred in the Alliance area (seismogram at right). This small quake was felt in the area around alliance.
After the earthquake Mount Union Geology Students surveyed local residents to determine the area over which the quake was felt. The map at right illustrates this area. Red circles represent reports of the quake being felt. Green triangles represent people reporting they didn't feel the quake.
Updated:02/15/2008
Mount Union College Geology