SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) — Have you been hearing startling pops and bangs?
Well, those startling pops and bangs you're hearing isn't your imagination playing tricks on you. It's the natural phenomenon known as "Cryoseism".
More commonly called an "ice quake" or "frost quake", it's actually a minor seismic event caused by the sudden cracking action in frozen soil or rock that's saturated with water or ice.
As water drains into the ground and freezes with the extremely cold temperatures we're experiencing, it expands under colder temperatures and puts stress on its surroundings.
This stress builds up until relieved explosively in the form of a cryoseism and that's when you hear the loud pops and bangs.