Earthquakes

Did you feel it? 3rd earthquake in weeks rocks NJ community

No injuries were reported and there were no reports of damage associated with Friday's quake

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Yet another earthquake was recorded in New Jersey overnight, not far from the location where the U.S. Geological Survey reported two other quakes in recent weeks -- and a rare magnitude 4.8 quake in early April.

This time, it was a 2.9 magnitude, USGS says, recorded about 4 miles west-southwest of Gladstone in Somerset County. That's just shy of 50 miles from New York City.

No injuries were reported and there were no reports of damage associated with Friday's quake.

USGS
USGS

Another earthquake, a 2.6 magnitude, hit near Gladstone on May 1. The same area saw a 2.9 magnitude earthquake days earlier. It follows dozens of aftershocks following that relatively "big" 4.8 magnitude earthquake that rattled more than 40 million people on the East Coast shortly before the solar eclipse.

Earthquakes in the eastern U.S. are not common, but when they occur, the impact is felt stronger and across a wider area than quakes in the western part of the country, according to the USGS. Part of that could be that the eastern U.S. has older rocks and formations, the USGS said.

While the USGS said it's important to study aftershocks to help prepare for future events, there is no current way to forecast specifics around future quakes.

It's also not clear if this part of New Jersey is becoming more prone to earthquakes.

The New Jersey magnitude 4.8 earthquake was felt from hundreds of miles away, with some in the tri-state feeling the Earth move under their feet for the first time ever. But just a few hours later, a magnitude 4.0 aftershock hit in the same area of the state and again was felt throughout the region.
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