A 1.8-magnitude earthquake struck Somerset County in New Jersey on Friday morning March 21, originating about 7 kilometers from Gladstone; no damage was reported, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Reports from residents indicated minimal shaking, USGS cartographer Mitch Adelson said in a statement.
In addition to Somerset, residents felt the earthquake in parts of Morris and Mercer counties, NJ.com reported.
Earthquakes in New Jersey
Paramus was rattled by a 2.4-magnitude quake on Jan. 24 but the biggest quake to happen in New Jersey at 4.8-magnitude was centered in Tewksbury and rattled much of tri-state area on April 5, 2024. The quake was followed by multiple aftershocks.
Since 1950, there have been 40 other earthquakes of magnitude 3 and larger within 250 km (155 miles) of that April 5, 2024 quake. That 4.8 earthquake, “occurred as a result of oblique reverse and strike-slip faulting at shallow depths in the crust.
“Although this event did not occur near a plate boundary, such ‘intraplate’ earthquakes can and do occur,” according to USGS.
“While this earthquake is relatively small globally, earthquakes of this magnitude are commonly widely felt in the eastern United States because of efficient seismic wave propagation in the region.”
About the USGS
Created by an act of Congress in 1879, the U.S. Geological Survey provides science for a changing world, which reflects and responds to society’s continuously evolving needs. As the science arm of the Department of the Interior, the USGS brings an array of earth, water, biological, and mapping data and expertise to bear in support of decision-making on environmental, resource, and public safety issues.