It’s so cold in Canada that residents are reporting a phenomenon called “frost quakes” — when the air is so cold and temperatures drop so low that the atmosphere seems to be filled with the sound of gun fire.
The Daily Mail reported that most of the calls of “frost quakes” have been received from Toronto and Ontario residents.
The sounds actually stems from cryoseism, when rain and ice seep into the soil and freeze, and then the temperature drops further. The ensuing natural result causes the boom.
“Water expands when it freezes, and when it expands in frozen soil, it literally puts a lot of stress on that dirt and will release that energy all of a sudden, very much like an earthquake releases that energy and shifts the ground,” said meteorologist Natasha Ramsahai, in City News.
But nature is wreaking havoc on police.
One local resident tweeted: “Police across GTA getting calls from various locations. Loud bangs, prowlers, noises from roof, etc. It’s weather related. Go to sleep.”
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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