By Kathryn Prociv -
NBC News
When arctic air sweeps across the northeastern United States and the New England area this weekend, it could cause an unusual weather phenomenon known as ice quakes.
Ice or frost earthquakes, also known as icequakes or cold earthquakes, are seismic events caused by a sudden fracturing or cracking of frozen ground or ice-saturated rock.
If the crack is big enough, it can cause a jolt and a loud bang.
So they are often confused with small earthquakes.
Frostquakes occur when very cold air interacts with water- or ice-saturated ground after a downpour or snowfall seeps underground.
Pedestrians dress for the cold in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on Feb. 3, 2023.Charles Krupa/AP
They are triggered by an abrupt drop in temperature below freezing.
The frigid air then suddenly freezes the water underground, causing it to expand, causing a buildup of stress and pressure.
The result causes the ground and rocks to crack, which can produce minor rumbles and jolts.
They are more likely to occur in places more susceptible to cold air masses, such as Canada and the northern states of the country.
More than 142 million people will be exposed to freezing temperatures.
This is the cause of extreme cold
Feb 3, 202302:35
In recent years ice quakes have been reported in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, and Tennessee.
There is a connection between icequakes and the climate emergency
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A 2016 study revealed that ice quakes could become more frequent in a warmer climate.
Because as winters get hotter (winters are the fastest warming season of the year), the ground stays thawed longer with a higher prevalence of liquid water.
Then, when arctic air intrusions occur, the frigid air freezes the ground, setting off the chain reaction that causes ice tremors.