Tremors felt Thursday in Sussex County remain a mystery.
Around noon, social media sites like Twitter and Facebook began lighting up with posts claiming that people heard a rumbling sound accompanied by shakes along Delaware’s southern coast.
Although many claimed they felt an earthquake, Delaware’s Geological Survey has confirmed with the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory that tremors felt were not caused by seismic activity.
Geologist Stefanie Baxter of the Delaware Geological Survey says that they haven’t been able to pinpoint the source of the tremors.
“I have a call into Aberdeen Proving Grounds to see if they were doing an ordinance testing, I have not heard back from them," said Baxter. "Possibly a sonic boom, we have no idea. If it’s not earthquake related, it is anybody’s guess as to what caused it."
Maryland’s Geological Survey has also confirmed that the tremors were not caused by an earthquake in the following statement.
"Seismologists from Columbia University have analyzed the data from three area stations, Reisterstown (MD), the Eastern Shore, and Lewes, Delaware, and have advised that the data from those stations is not consistent with an earthquake as is being reported by some social and traditional media outlets."