Minor Earthquake Tremor Detected in Finn Valley, Donegal
General News
Friday 3rd, May 2024
STRANORLAR, A minor seismic event was detected on Thursday evening in the Finn Valley area, causing curiosity and mild concern among the local population. The phenomenon, recorded just before 8pm, was picked up by two seismometers installed at St Columba's College in Stranorlar.
Brendan O'Donoghue, a science teacher at St Columba's College and a participant in the international Seismology in Schools network, noted that the sound resembled that of snow sliding off a roof. The event occurred at approximately 7.48 pm, as reported by O'Donoghue and several other residents in the vicinity.
Following the event, O'Donoghue examined the data recorded by both seismometers at the college. "A frequency spectrum showed activity of high frequencies, 20-40Hz, which also suggests a nearby source", O'Donoghue explained. He further elaborated on the nature of seismic waves, indicating that, "As a seismic wave travels outwards its frequency shifts to lower values. Typically a seismic wave from a distant event would reach here with a frequency of 0.05 to 0.06 Hz".
Based on preliminary analysis, O'Donoghue estimated that the source of the tremor was likely around 8km from St Columba's College. The data from this event is slated for further analysis by the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies (DIAS), which will assist in pinpointing the epicentre.
"When DIAS make their data available, we should be able to locate the epicentre", said O'Donoghue, highlighting the ongoing collaboration between educational institutions and research bodies.
St Columba's College not only serves as an educational institution but also contributes to global efforts in monitoring seismic activities, including potential nuclear tests.
We await an update from DIAS on this seismic event.
Brendan O'Donoghue, a science teacher at St Columba's College and a participant in the international Seismology in Schools network, noted that the sound resembled that of snow sliding off a roof. The event occurred at approximately 7.48 pm, as reported by O'Donoghue and several other residents in the vicinity.
Following the event, O'Donoghue examined the data recorded by both seismometers at the college. "A frequency spectrum showed activity of high frequencies, 20-40Hz, which also suggests a nearby source", O'Donoghue explained. He further elaborated on the nature of seismic waves, indicating that, "As a seismic wave travels outwards its frequency shifts to lower values. Typically a seismic wave from a distant event would reach here with a frequency of 0.05 to 0.06 Hz".
Based on preliminary analysis, O'Donoghue estimated that the source of the tremor was likely around 8km from St Columba's College. The data from this event is slated for further analysis by the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies (DIAS), which will assist in pinpointing the epicentre.
"When DIAS make their data available, we should be able to locate the epicentre", said O'Donoghue, highlighting the ongoing collaboration between educational institutions and research bodies.
St Columba's College not only serves as an educational institution but also contributes to global efforts in monitoring seismic activities, including potential nuclear tests.
We await an update from DIAS on this seismic event.
