Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 16, 1991 TAG: 9103160238
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By Associated Press
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The tremor measured 3.6 on the Richter scale and three aftershocks registered below 2, said Martin Chapman, research associate at the Virginia Tech Seismological Observatory.
James Frazier, a Goochland County Sheriff's Department dispatcher, said he was in the communications center when the walls started shaking about 2 a.m.
"It sounded like the building was coming down around my head," he said. "It started out as really low rumbling and progressively got worse. It shook for about two seconds, but the noise lasted about four seconds."
An earthquake of 3.6 can cause slight damage in the local area. The aftershocks were so light that they could be felt only "if you're virtually right over them," Chapman said.
The Richter scale is a measure of ground motion as recorded on seismographs. Every increase of one number means a tenfold increase in magnitude. Thus a reading of 7.5 reflects an earthquake 10 times stronger than one of 6.5.
Chapman said there's no history of catastrophic earthquakes in central Virginia. Damaging earthquakes are possible, "but we think they're going to remain small," he said.
Sherry Bryant, also a Goochland sheriff's dispatcher, said she was at home and almost asleep "when I kind of heard a rumble. If you're in a water bed, it's real scary."
She said she noticed no damage at her home, but co-workers found some cracks in a wall at the sheriff's office. "There's one crack that we know for sure is fresh," she said.
Carolyn Gills, who lives near Cartersville in Cumberland County, was jolted awake by the quake.
"It shook us out of bed," Gills said. "It was a real loud rumble, and the house shook. The horses galloped around in the pasture. It was very frightening."
The quake shook some merchandise off the shelves at Whitney's Country Store in Goochland County, said cashier James C. Murray. "I picked up stuff off the floor this morning."
The National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colo., said the quake struck at 1:54 a.m.
The approximate center was in rural Goochland County between Gum Springs and the James River, or about 40 miles northwest of Richmond and 25 miles southeast of Charlottesville.
Rebecca Phipps of the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston said the quake was felt as far east as Richmond and as far west as Staunton, a radius of about 100 miles.
Chapman said there are several geological faults between Charlottesville and Richmond.
A University of Virginia physics professor said he was worried by the earthquake's proximity to Virginia Power's North Anna nuclear plant, which is about 30 miles northeast of Charlottesville.
Donal B. Day, a longtime critic of nuclear power, said the earthquake should prompt an inspection of the plant.
James W. Norvelle, a spokesman for Virginia Power in Richmond, said the earthquake was not felt in the plant's control room and no inspection was planned.
"The station is designed to withstand - without any damage to safety systems - an earthquake of much, much larger forces than the one that occurred last night," Norvelle said.
910316 VA--EARTHQUA STORY #9010 TOPIC KEYWORD DESK AUTHOR:APE061103/16/91 ahughes \ A-5 Earthquake By Associated Press
A mild earthquake rattled homes Friday
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