{{Short description|Non-tectonic seismic event}} {{Redirect|Ice quake|the 2010 film|Ice Quake (film)|the 2010 novel|SOS Adventures#Ice Quake{{!}}Ice Quake (novel)}}
A '''cryoseism''', '''ice quake''' or '''frost quake''',<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Battaglia|first1=Steven M.|last2=Changnon|first2=David|date=2016-01-02|title=Frost Quakes: Forecasting the Unanticipated Clatter|url=https://archive.org/details/BattagliaChangnon2016FrostQuakes|journal=Weatherwise|volume=69|issue=1|pages=20–27|doi=10.1080/00431672.2015.1109984|bibcode=2016Weawi..69a..20B|s2cid=194149546|issn=0043-1672}}</ref><ref name="fqclimate">{{Citation|last1=Leung|first1=Andrew C. W.|title=Identifying Frostquakes in Central Canada and Neighbouring Regions in the United States with Social Media|date=2017|work=Citizen Empowered Mapping|volume=18|pages=201–222|editor-last=Leitner|editor-first=Michael|url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-319-51629-5_9|access-date=2024-01-19|place=Cham|publisher=Springer International Publishing|doi=10.1007/978-3-319-51629-5_9|isbn=978-3-319-51628-8|last2=Gough|first2=William A.|last3=Shi|first3=Yehong|editor2-last=Jokar Arsanjani|editor2-first=Jamal|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name="wisconsin">{{cite web|url=http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/Geosciences/qketour/frostqke/cryoseis.html|title=Milwaukee Area Frostquakes|date=1994-02-24|publisher=University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070104124542/http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/Geosciences/qketour/frostqke/cryoseis.html|archive-date=2007-01-04|url-status=dead|access-date=2006-10-22}}</ref><ref name="MGS">{{cite web|url=https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mgs/hazards/earthquakes/quake-cryoseism.htm|title=Cryoseisms in Maine|date=2005-10-06|publisher=Maine Geological Survey|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180426130312/https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mgs/hazards/earthquakes/quake-cryoseism.htm|archive-date=2018-04-26|url-status=live|access-date=2006-10-21}}</ref> is a seismic event caused by a sudden cracking action in frozen soil or rock saturated with water or ice,<ref name="shortnote">{{cite journal|author=Lacroix|first=Andrew V.|date=January 1980|title=A Short Note on Cryoseisms|url=http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/Geosciences/qketour/frostqke/lacroix.html|url-status=dead|journal=Seismological Research Letters|volume=51|issue=1|pages=15–21|doi=10.1785/gssrl.51.1.15|bibcode=1980SeiRL..51a..15L|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070104124323/http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/Geosciences/qketour/frostqke/lacroix.html|archive-date=2007-01-04|access-date=2006-10-21|url-access=subscription}}</ref> or by stresses generated at frozen lakes.<ref> {{Cite journal|last1=Kavanaugh|first1=Jeffrey|last2=Schultz|first2=Ryan|last3=Andriashek|first3=Laurence D.|last4=van der Baan|first4=Mirko|last5=Ghofrani|first5=Hadi|last6=Atkinson|first6=Gail|last7=Utting|first7=Daniel J.|date=2019|title=A New Year's Day icebreaker: icequakes on lakes in Alberta, Canada|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjes-2018-0196|journal=Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences|volume=56|issue=2|pages=183–200|doi=10.1139/cjes-2018-0196|bibcode=2019CaJES..56..183K|issn=0008-4077|hdl=1807/93572|hdl-access=free}} </ref> As water drains into the ground, it may eventually freeze and expand under colder temperatures, putting stress on its surroundings. This stress builds up until relieved explosively in the form of a cryoseism.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="wnb">{{cite web|url=http://weathernotebook.org/transcripts/2000/04/14.html|title=Cryoseisms Explained|author=Thurlow|first=Dave|work=The Weather Notebook|publisher=Mount Washington Observatory|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051124034552/http://www.weathernotebook.org/transcripts/2000/04/14.html|archive-date=2005-11-24|url-status=dead|access-date=2006-10-21}}</ref> The requirements for a cryoseism to occur are numerous;<ref name=":0" /><ref name="fqclimate" /> therefore, accurate predictions are not entirely possible and may constitute a factor in structural design and engineering when constructing in an area historically known for such events.<ref name="shortnote" /> Speculation has been made between global warming and the frequency of cryoseisms.<ref name="pdf" />
== Effects == Cryoseisms are often mistaken for minor intraplate earthquakes.<ref name="shortnote"/><ref name="VGS">{{cite report|url=https://dec.vermont.gov/sites/dec/files/geo/HazDocs/Ebell_1995.pdf|title=A Report on the Seismic Vulnerability of the State of Vermont|last1=Ebel|first1=John E.|last2=Bedell|first2=Richard|date=July 1995|publisher=Vermont Emergency Management Agency|last3=Urzua|first3=Alfredo|access-date=2006-10-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170430035840/https://dec.vermont.gov/sites/dec/files/geo/HazDocs/Ebell_1995.pdf|archive-date=2017-04-30|url-status=live}}</ref> Initial indications may appear similar to those of an earthquake with tremors, vibrations, ground cracking and related noises,<ref name="MGS"/> such as thundering or booming sounds.<ref name="wnb"/> Cryoseisms can, however, be distinguished from earthquakes through meteorological and geological conditions.<ref name="shortnote"/> Cryoseisms can have an intensity of up to VI on the Modified Mercalli Scale.<ref name="shortnote"/> Furthermore, cryoseisms often exhibit high intensity in a very localized area,<ref name="MGS"/> in the immediate proximity of the epicenter,<ref name="VGS"/> as compared to the widespread effects of an earthquake.<ref name="shortnote"/> Due to lower-frequency vibrations of cryoseisms,<ref name="moment"/> some seismic monitoring stations may not record their occurrence.<ref name="VGS"/> Cryoseisms release less energy than most tectonic events.<ref name="erebus">{{cite web|url=http://www.ees.nmt.edu/Geop/mevo/seismic/icequakes.html|title=Erebus Icequakes|publisher=Mount Erebus Volcano Observatory|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060831112521/http://www.ees.nmt.edu/Geop/mevo/seismic/icequakes.html|archive-date=2006-08-31|url-status=dead|access-date=2006-11-16}}</ref> Since cryoseisms occur at the ground surface they can cause effects right at the site, enough to jar people awake.<ref name="MGS"/>
Some reports have indicated the presence of "distant flashing lights" before or during a cryoseism, possibly because of electrical changes when rocks are compressed.<ref name="wnb"/> Cracks and fissures may also appear as surface areas contract and split apart from the cold.<ref name="MGS"/><ref name="VGS"/> The sometime superficial to moderate occurrences may range from a few centimeters to several kilometers long, with either singular or multiple linear fracturing and vertical or lateral displacement possible.<ref name="shortnote"/>
== Occurrences == ===Glacial cryoseisms=== A '''glacial cryoseism''' or glacial ice quake is a non-tectonic seismic event of the glacial cryosphere. A large variety of seismogenic glacial processes arising from internal, ocean calving, or basal processes have been identified and studied.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Podolskiy|first1=Evgeny A.|last2=Walter|first2=Fabian|date=2016|title=Cryoseismology|url=https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2016RG000526|journal=Reviews of Geophysics|volume=54|issue=4|pages=708–758|doi=10.1002/2016RG000526|bibcode=2016RvGeo..54..708P|issn=8755-1209|hdl=2115/64330|hdl-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Aster|first1=R C|last2=Winberry|first2=J P|date=2017-12-01|title=Glacial seismology|url=https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6633/aa8473|journal=Reports on Progress in Physics|volume=80|issue=12|pages=126801|doi=10.1088/1361-6633/aa8473|pmid=28782729|bibcode=2017RPPh...80l6801A|issn=0034-4885|url-access=subscription}} </ref> Very large calving events in Greenland and Antarctica have been observed to generate seismic events of magnitude 5 or larger.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Nettles|first1=Meredith|last2=Ekström|first2=Göran|date=2010-04-01|title=Glacial Earthquakes in Greenland and Antarctica|url=https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-earth-040809-152414|journal=Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences|volume=38|issue=1|pages=467–491|doi=10.1146/annurev-earth-040809-152414|bibcode=2010AREPS..38..467N|issn=0084-6597|url-access=subscription}} </ref> Extremely large icebergs can also generate seismic signals that are observable at distances up to thousands of kilometers when they collide or grind across the ocean floor.<ref> {{Cite journal|last1=Martin|first1=Seelye|last2=Drucker|first2=Robert|last3=Aster|first3=Richard|last4=Davey|first4=Fred|last5=Okal|first5=Emile|last6=Scambos|first6=Ted|last7=MacAyeal|first7=Douglas|date=2010|title=Kinematic and seismic analysis of giant tabular iceberg breakup at Cape Adare, Antarctica|url=https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2009JB006700|journal=Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth|volume=115|issue=B6|doi=10.1029/2009JB006700|bibcode=2010JGRB..115.6311M|issn=0148-0227|url-access=subscription}} </ref> Basal glacial motion be enhanced due to water accumulation underneath a glacier sourced from surface or basal ice melt. Hydraulic pressure of subglacial water can reduce the friction at the bed, allowing the glacier to suddenly shift and generate seismic waves.<ref name="moment">{{cite web|url=http://amos.indiana.edu/library/scripts/icequake.html|title=Ice Quake!|author=Orem|first=William|date=2004-09-14|work=A Moment of Science|publisher=Indiana University|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080227051716/http://amos.indiana.edu/library/scripts/icequake.html|archive-date=2008-02-27|url-status=dead|access-date=2006-11-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.postnormaltimes.net/blog/archives/2006/03/climate_and_eco.html|title=Climate and economic models|author=Tognetti|first=Sylvia S.|date=2006-03-27|work=The Post-Normal Times|access-date=2006-11-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928102722/http://www.postnormaltimes.net/blog/archives/2006/03/climate_and_eco.html|archive-date=2007-09-28|url-status=dead}}</ref> This type of cryoseism can be very brief, or may last for many minutes.<ref name="pdf">{{cite web|url=http://www.vibrationdata.com/Newsletters/June2006_NL.pdf|title=Ice Quakes|author=Irvine|first=Tom|date=June 2006|work=Vibrationdata Newsletter|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504021145/http://www.vibrationdata.com/Newsletters/June2006_NL.pdf|archive-date=2018-05-04|url-status=live|access-date=2006-11-16}}</ref>
=== Location === ==== United States ==== thumb|300px|right|US States with reported cryoseisms Geocryological processes were identified as a possible cause of tremors as early as 1818.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="shortnote"/> In the United States, such events have been reported throughout the Midwestern, Northern and Northeastern United States.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="wnb"/><ref>{{cite news|date=31 Jan 2019|title=Ground-shaking frost quakes: They're Indiana's latest polar vortex phenomenon|url=https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/2019/01/31/indianas-latest-polar-vortex-phenomenon-ground-shaking-frost-quakes/2732546002/|last=Tuohy|first=John|work=Indianapolis Star}}</ref>
On January 26, 2026 a record breaking winter storm had swept through Middle Tennessee. The storm started as a period of snow in the early morning of Saturday, January 24, 2026. By Monday, ice buildup up had reached 0.8 in some areas. That evening, temperatures rapidly dropped over 20°F by midnight statewide. Frost quakes were felt and reported by thousands of Tennesseans as well as part of Southern Kentucky.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Those loud booms aren't earthquakes. What to know about 'frost quakes' in Nashville|url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/weather/2026/01/27/what-is-a-frost-ice-quake-in-nashville-and-what-it-sounds-like/88376251007/|website=The Tennessean|access-date=2026-01-30|language=en-US|first=Diana|last=Leyva|date=2026-01-27}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Frost quakes have been reported across Middle Tennessee, but what are they and why do they happen?|url=https://www.wsmv.com/2026/01/27/frost-quakes-reported-across-middle-tennessee/|website=WSMV|date=2026-01-27|access-date=2026-01-30|language=en|first=Dan|last=Thomas}}</ref>
==== Canada ==== Cryoseisms also occur in Canada,<ref name=":0" /><ref name="fqclimate"/> especially along the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence corridor, where winter temperatures can shift very rapidly.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/frost-quakes-wake-toronto-residents-on-cold-night-1.2482615|title='Frost quakes' wake Toronto residents on cold night|date=2014-01-03|work=CBC News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215233214/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/frost-quakes-wake-toronto-residents-on-cold-night-1.2482615|archive-date=2017-02-15|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/info-gen/faq-eng.php#temperature|title=Frequently Asked Questions about Earthquakes (FAQ)|publisher=Natural Resources Canada|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105204019/http://www.earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/info-gen/faq-en.php|archive-date=2019-01-05|url-status=live}}</ref> They have surfaced in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and the Maritime Provinces.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{cite journal|last=Burke|first=Kenneth B. S.|title=Historical Seismicity in the Central Highlands, Passamaquoddy Bay, and Moncton Regions of New Brunswick, Canada, 1817–1961|url=https://archive.org/details/HistoricalSeismicityInTheCentralHighlands|journal=Seismological Research Letters|date=May 2004|volume=75|issue=3|pages=419–431|doi=10.1785/gssrl.75.3.419|bibcode=2004SeiRL..75..419B}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/calgary/article/possible-epicenter-of-frost-quake-found-in-northwest-schoolyard/|title=Possible epicenter of frost quake found in northwest schoolyard|last=Lawrence|first=Erin|date=2014-03-10|work=CTV News Calgary|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170726025109/https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/possible-epicenter-of-frost-quake-found-in-northwest-schoolyard-1.1722711|archive-date=2017-07-26|url-status=live}}</ref>
==== Other places ==== Glacier-related cryoseism phenomena have been reported in Alaska,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alaska.org/glaciers/advice-know-what-to-look.htm|title=Alaska Glacier Tours – Know What To Look For|website=Alaska.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722025223/http://www.alaska.org/glaciers/advice-know-what-to-look.htm|archive-date=2012-07-22|url-status=live|access-date=2006-11-16}}</ref> Greenland,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://facts.bigli.ru/2/fact-348/|script-title=ru:Гренландские ледники трещат по швам|access-date=2006-10-22|work=Bigli Facts|publisher=Bigli Web|language=ru|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070116195326/http://facts.bigli.ru/2/fact-348/|archive-date=2007-01-16}}</ref> Iceland (Grímsvötn),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/00421/izland_k_eng.htm|title=The Icelandic "Icy Flood"|last=Gyula|first=Honyek|date=October 2003|work=ThinkQuest Library|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061115072803/http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/00421/izland_k_eng.htm|archive-date=2006-11-15|url-status=dead|access-date=2006-11-16}}</ref> Finland,<ref>{{Cite web|title=New Data Helps Researchers Demystify 'Frost Quakes'|url=https://www.insidescience.org/news/new-data-helps-researchers-demystify-frost-quakes|access-date=2022-10-20|website=Inside Science|date=11 November 2020}}</ref> Ross Island,<ref name="erebus"/> and the Antarctic Prince Charles Mountains.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://abc.net.au/news/specials/antarcticsummer/stories/pcmega.htm|title=Surveying the Icy Peaks|author=Johnston|first=Nicole|date=2002-11-29|work=Antarctic Summer|access-date=2006-11-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051119154630/http://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/antarcticsummer/stories/pcmega.htm|archive-date=November 19, 2005|url-status=dead|publisher=ABC News|location=Australia}}</ref>
=== Precursors === There are four main precursors for a frost quake cryoseism event to occur:<ref name=":0" /><ref name="fqclimate"/>
# A region must be susceptible to cold air masses # The ground must undergo saturation from thaw or liquid precipitation prior to an intruding cold air mass # Most frost quakes are associated with minor snow cover on the ground without a significant amount of snow to insulate the ground (i.e., less than {{convert|6|in|cm}}) # A rapid temperature drop from approximately freezing to near or below {{convert|-18|C}}, which ordinarily occurred on a timescale of 16 to 48 hours.<ref name=":0" />
Cryoseisms typically occur when temperatures rapidly decrease from above freezing to below freezing (0°C or 32°F),<ref name="MGS" /><ref name="VGS" /> and are more than likely to occur between midnight and dawn (during the coldest parts of night).<ref name=":0" /><ref name="shortnote" /> However, due to the permanent nature of glacial ice, glacier-related cryoseisms may also occur in the warmer months of summer.<ref name="moment" /> In general, cryoseisms may occur 3 to 4 hours after significant changes in temperature.<ref name="precursor">{{cite web|url=http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/Geosciences/qketour/frostqke/willis2.html|title=Icequake Precursors|last1=Willis|first1=D. E.|last2=Taylor|first2=R. W.|date=October 1979|work=51st Annual Meeting of the Eastern Section of the Seismological Society of America|publisher=Dept of Geological Sciences, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990921075700/http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/Geosciences/qketour/frostqke/willis2.html|archive-date=1999-09-21|url-status=dead|access-date=2006-11-16|last3=LeNoble|first3=M.|last4=Yellin|first4=S.}}</ref> Perennial or seasonal frost conditions involved with cryoseisms limit these events to temperate climates that experience seasonal variation with subzero winters. Additionally, the ground must be saturated with water, which can be caused by snowmelt, rain, sleet or flooding.<ref name="shortnote" /> Geologically, areas of permeable materials like sand or gravel, which are susceptible to frost action, are likelier candidates for cryoseisms.<ref name="shortnote" /> Following large cryoseisms, little to no seismic activity will be detected for several hours, indicating that accumulated stress has been relieved.<ref name="precursor" />
== See also == *Cryosphere *Glacial earthquake *Glacial lake outburst flood
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Wiktionary|cryoseism}} *{{Commons category-inline|Cryoseisms}} *[https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zaeeOyIfUmWk.kSIuJzqm9j2Q Google Maps-based reporting website]
Category:Geological hazards Category:Snow or ice weather phenomena Category:Weather hazards Category:Seismology Category:Types of earthquake