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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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The readings from the seismometers at St Columba's College. (Brendan O'Donoghue)
A minor earthquake tremor was heard in the Finn Valley area on Thursday evening.
Two seismometers at St Columba's College in Stranorlar picked up the sounds just before 8pm.
Science teacher Brendan O'Donoghue, who was instrumental in St Columba's joining the international Seismology in Schools network, heard a sound akin to snow sliding off a roof at 7.48pm.
Several people around the Finn Valley reported hearing a similar noise.
“A little later I checked both seismometers and found the signal at that time on each of them,” Mr O'Donoghue told Donegal Live
A frequency spectrum showed activity of high frequencies, 20-40Hz, which he said “also suggests a nearby source”.
He said: “As a seismic wave travels outwards its frequency shifts to lower values. Typically a seismic wave from a distant event would reach here with a frequency of 0.05 to 0.06 Hz.”
At a rough estimate, he said the source would likely be around 8km from St Columba's College. The Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies will now analyse the data.
Mr O'Donoghue said: “When DIAS make their data available we should be able to locate the epicentre.”
As well as recording earthquakes, St Columba's contributes to international monitoring bodies for things like nuclear tests.
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