A 4.8 magnitude earthquake shook the New York City metropolitan area on Friday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The epicenter of the quake was located near Lebanon, New Jersey, about 10 miles west of Manhattan.
The earthquake was felt in all five boroughs of New York City, as well as in parts of New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. There were no immediate reports of serious injuries or damage.
The USGS said the quake was the largest to hit the New York City area since 2001. A 4.1 magnitude earthquake struck the Astoria section of Queens in January of that year.
The quake comes just two days after a 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck Oklahoma. That quake was felt in several states, including Texas, Kansas, and Arkansas.
Earthquakes are relatively common in the United States. The USGS estimates that there are about 500,000 earthquakes in the U.S. each year, but most of them are too small to be felt.
Is New York a seismic zone?
According to seismic studies from the U.S. Geological Survey, “although strong earthquakes are uncommon in New
York City, moderate magnitude earthquakes are possible. The older, harder bedrock found in the northeast generates high-frequency earthquake motions that can travel great distances before they subside. For example, earthquakes in Virginia in 2011 and Canada In 2013 they were felt in New York City. The 2011 Virginia earthquake, with Moment Magnitude of 5.8, was felt more than 500 miles from its epicenter, making it the most-felt earthquake in modern U.S. history”.
Can earthquakes be predicted?
No. To this day, there is no technique that allows the prediction of earthquakes. There are warning mechanisms (such as the seismic alert) that notify with seconds in advance, but there is no way to know when an earthquake will happen.
Even countries like the United States and Japan, whose technology is very advanced, have not been able to develop a predictive technique for earthquakes.
