New York

Magnitude 1.3 Earthquake Recorded in New Jersey

A small earthquake was recorded Saturday in New Jersey, scientists said. 

The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 1.3 and was centered near Morris Plains in Morris County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It had a depth of 6 kilometers, or about 3.7 miles. 

But residents shouldn't be surprised if they didn't feel the temblor -- magnitude 2.5 earthquakes are typically the smallest that people can feel. 

Seismologists at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory say that the tectonic plate bordered by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is moving an inch a year toward New York and New Jersey. The pressure resulted in five small earthquakes across the tri-state in 2015-16.

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