Area Right Outside New York State Hit By Small Earthquake Swarm

Anyone felt any shaking lately? An earthquake swarm is defined as "multiple seismic events of comparable intensity strike a small area in relatively quick succession", according to the Vajirim & Ravi Institute of IAS Examination.

Earlier this week, a minor swarm of tremors struck an area marking a 185-mile system of faults, that runs through parts of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Earthquakes In New York & the East Vs. West Coast Earthquakes 

While seismologists say the quakes were relatively weak, the tremors occurred a fault system that experts say is much more complex and extensive than originally thought. Sometimes, even weaker quakes can be felt over a much wider area in New York, extending hundreds of miles.

According to CBS, the reason is that the Earth's crust over this region is much older, colder, and more healed versus out west which is far more seismically active. But when a quake does occur here, the harder, smoother ground is more effective at conducting seismic waves.

Area Right Outside New York State Hit By Small Earthquake Swarm

The New York Post reports that six small earthquakes struck an area in Morris County, New Jersey within a 17-hour period Monday. According to the US Geological Survey, the tremors measured a magnitude 0.7 to 2.0 on The Richter Scale.

Some residents say they heard something that resembled a loud boom, according to The Post. See Also: USGS Reports Uptick in Recent New York State Earthquake Activity

These recent quakes are believed to be lingering aftershocks from the 4.8 earthquake that struck near Tewksbury, NJ in April 2024. PIX11 had reported that over 42 million people felt the moderate quake, including areas across New York state, and as far south as Washington D.C., and as far north as Canada.