USGS reports sonic boom heard, felt across the Midlands not result of earthquake

WMBF News reports that (WIS) - The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported a sonic boom that was felt across the Midlands Thursday afternoon.

According to the USGS, the sonic boom is estimated to have originated in Saint Andrews and was heard and felt across the Midlands on Thursday.

WIS received reports from across Columbia as well as surrounding counties, and even areas outside of the viewing area, such as Darlington and Chesterfield counties.

USGS confirmed to WIS that the boom was not the result of an earthquake.

A spokesperson said there was no earthquake activity in or around Columbia, with the last reported tremor being on May 22.

The department says that because earthquake magnitude scales are calibrated for seismic waves that travel through the Earth, standard magnitude calculation methods do not apply to sonic booms.