The Chicago area will be dealing with extreme cold this week, but a loud and frightening phenomenon known as “icequakes” could also occur.
An extreme cold warning is in effect for the entire area beginning Thursday night and running through Friday afternoon, with wind chills plummeting to 30 degrees or more below zero and air temperatures struggling to make it to zero degrees on Friday.
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That rapid cooldown could cause icequakes to occur around the area, according to NBC 5 Storm Team meteorologist Kevin Jeanes.
But what exactly causes an icequake?
According to Jeanes, icequakes, also known as cryoseisms, occur when temperatures drop rapidly, causing liquid still within the ground to freeze and expand rapidly.
That process can not only cause a loud popping noise, but it can also cause minor tremors on the ground that feel like small earthquakes, according to the National Weather Service.
There are a few factors that could limit whether icequakes occur this week. According to Jeanes, soil temperatures are already quite cold, ranging from 28-to-33 degrees around the area, and so a lot of moisture in the soil is already frozen, minimizing the chance for the flash freezing that could lead to the tremors.
In addition, areas of the Chicago area that have snow already covering the ground are less likely to have a flash freeze occur since the snow will insulate the ground, allowing that change to occur more gradually, according to Science News.
Still, the phenomenon is possible this week, so if you hear a loud popping noise outside, you may have experienced an icequake.
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