On April 5 around 10:23 a.m., the northeast was rattled by a 4.8 magnitude earthquake. The epicenter was in Lebanon, New Jersey, yet tremors were felt throughout the state, in addition to cities Philadelphia, New York City and Baltimore. There were about 18 aftershocks following the earthquake with one being close to the magnitude of the initial earthquake. Aftershocks were also reported the following day, April 6.
There was no significant damage or injuries reported following the earthquake. New York City is known for its skyscrapers and they appear to still be in good condition after the earthquake.
“The skyscrapers of New York City are generally built to withstand an earthquake of 6.5 magnitude and larger,” Ahmad Rahimian, executive vice president of WSP Global, an engineering firm, said to the Associated Press.
Earthquakes are measured using the Richter scale and range from one to ten. Typically, a 4.8 magnitude would be classified as a light to moderate earthquake on the scale. However, earthquakes are rare in the northeast, the last reported being in 2011 with a magnitude of 5.8, so this was truly a surprise.
Earthquakes are caused by shifts in the tectonic plates, so movement in the North American plate might have triggered this 4.8 magnitude quake. Furthermore, earthquakes commonly occur around the “Ring of Fire” region, which includes places like California and Japan, due to the numerous volcanoes in the region causing frequent tectonic movement.
Overall, the earthquake was a shock, especially for the residents of the northeast. Hopefully there is not another one any time soon.
