Indianapolis dispatchers across central indiana have been fielding frantic calls from residents who believe they re hearing gunshots exploding gas lines or even secret underground activity but it turns out what they re most likely hearing is actually a loud winter phenomenon called frost quakes.
Frost quakes on roof.
Meteorologists said wednesday that sound and other cracking sounds inside and outside houses is called a cryoseism or a frost quake others say it s the sound made by wood and steel.
Frost quakes also known as cryoseisms occur after precipitation and bitterly cold temperatures.
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Frost quakes or ice quakes are heard most often at night because the air is the coldest and the ambient noise during the day tends to drown them out.