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After 2 Small Md. Earthquakes, Geological Survey Wants To Hear From Those Who Felt Them

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Feel the Earth move recently? If so, Maryland geologists would very much like to hear from you.

They're trying to track down more information about a pair of small earthquakes that shook the state recently.

The first was a 1.5-magnitude quake on Oct. 29 at 8:34 p.m. The second, which was 1.4 magnitude, hit Nov. 11 at 10:55 a.m.

"They are typically below the threshold for feeling for people, however citizens of Maryland did feel these and heard these earthquakes also," says Richard Ortt, director of the Maryland Geological Survey.

Both were a far cry from what was felt in 2011, when a 5.8 magnitude quake with an epicenter in Virginia shook the mid-Atlantic region. In that case, seismographs helped pin it down to a little known fault that caused the rumbling.

In the case of the two small Maryland quakes, though, "the best scientific information we can receive is from actually people on the ground," Ortt says.

To pinpoint the source, Maryland's Geological Survey is asking anyone who may have felt them to give them a call and "give us a better opportunity and understand of exactly where the quake happened."

If you think you felt one of those quakes and would like to report it, email Richard.Ortt@Maryland.gov.

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