Did you feel it? Earthquake aftershock reported in NJ
NEW JERSEY - The United States Geological Survey says a new 2.6 magnitude aftershock was reported around 10:22 a.m. southwest of Gladstone, New Jersey.
Was there an aftershock today?
A new 2.6 magnitude aftershock was reported around 10:22 a.m. southwest of Gladstone, New Jersey, the United States Geological Survey reported. This raises the total to nearly 50 aftershocks since Friday's 4.8 earthquake rocked the NYC area.
Where was Friday's earthquake?
Friday morning's earthquake shook New York City and the Tri-State area, followed by a magnitude 4.0 aftershock later that evening.
The USGS reported a quake at 10:23 a.m. with a preliminary magnitude of 4.8 centered near Whitehouse Station in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.
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4.8 earthquake, aftershock hits NJ, felt in NYC
A 4.8-magnitude earthquake centered in northern New Jersey rattled the northeast on Friday morning, surprising millions but leaving no major damage.
Then, just before 6 p.m., a magnitude 4.0 aftershock hit the region, with the epicenter near Gladstone in New Jersey.
How long did the earthquake last?
The earthquake lasted for about 30 seconds.
How many people felt the earthquake?
Figures indicated that more than 42 million people might have felt the quake. Check out the USGS interactive map to see if your area was affected.
The FOX 5 NY newsroom on Manhattan's Upper East Side felt shaking and received reports of a quake from our crews in Queens and Long Island. People in Baltimore and Philadelphia also reported feeling the ground shake.
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NYC earthquake: Where was the epicenter? How long did it last? Answering top questions
Where was the earthquake? And how long did it last? NYC area residents were shocked, surprised and confused when a quake rocked the Tri-State Friday morning.
"It’s not that strong of an earthquake – I mean it’s pretty strong for this area – but compared to the one we just saw in Taiwan, it’s about a thousand times less powerful than that," Steve Holler, an associate professor at physics and engineering at Fordham University, told FOX 5 NY.
Earthquakes are less common on the eastern than western edges of the U.S. because the East Coast does not lie on a boundary of tectonic plates. The biggest Eastern quakes usually occur along the mid-Atlantic Ridge, which extends through Iceland and the Atlantic Ocean.
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Aftershocks expected within next week following New Jersey earthquake: USGS forecast
The likelihood of a magnitude 3 aftershock happening within the next week is almost 80%, the USGS predicted.
Quakes on the East Coast can still pack a punch, as its rocks are better than their western counterparts at spreading earthquake energy across long distances.
"If we had the same magnitude quake in California, it probably wouldn’t be felt nearly as far away," said USGS geophysicist Paul Caruso.
When was the last time NY had an earthquake?
In January. an earthquake was reported in New York City and may have prompted reports of an explosion on the East River's Roosevelt Island.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 1.7 magnitude earthquake near Astoria, Queens.
Can destructive earthquakes hit NYC?
Quakes on the West Coast – and recently Japan – make headlines for their damage, but they're a threat to the East Coast as well.
"An earthquake is an earthquake, no matter [where] it happens," Dr. Lucy Jones, a seismologist, told FOX 5 NY. "The fact that earthquakes cannot be predicted is a large part of what makes them so frightening. We are much more afraid of something when we don't know when it's coming."
The New York City Area Consortium for Earthquake Loss Mitigation says the city's earthquake hazard is moderate. However, it is unclear if one of the fault lines could be a source of a strong earthquake. And the potential damage concerns many experts.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.