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[[Category:April 2024 events in the United States]] |
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[[Category:2024 natural disasters in the United States]] |
Revision as of 23:52, 5 April 2024
UTC time | 2024-04-05 14:23:20 |
---|---|
USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
Local date | April 5, 2024 |
Local time | 10:23 |
Magnitude | Mwr4.8 |
Depth | 4.7 kilometers (2.9 mi) |
Epicenter | Tewksbury Township, New Jersey, U.S. 40°40′59″N 74°45′11″W / 40.683°N 74.753°W |
Areas affected | Northeastern United States Maryland Washington, D.C. Virginia |
Max. intensity | MMI VI (Strong) |
Aftershocks | Mw 2.0, Mw 4.0 |
Casualties | None |
On April 5, 2024, at 10:23 EDT (14:23 UTC), a Mw 4.8 earthquake occurred in the U.S. state of New Jersey, around 1 mile (1.5 km) away from the township of Tewksbury. While felt across the New York City and Philadelphia metropolitan areas and other parts of the northeastern United States, it had relatively minor impacts, with no major damage reported in New York and "limited damage" in New Jersey.[1][2] There was an aftershock at 17:59 EDT (21:59 UTC).[3]
It was the strongest earthquake to affect New Jersey since the 5.3 Mfa 1783 New Jersey earthquake,[4] and the strongest to hit New York City since an estimated 5.0 magnitude earthquake on August 10, 1884.[5][2]
Tectonic setting
The earthquake may have taken place along the Ramapo Fault,[6][failed verification] which extends from Pennsylvania to New York;[7] the structure formed during the Late Triassic during the break-up of the supercontinent Pangaea.[8] Alternatively, it may have taken place on the Flemington Fault, a more recent fault in the same area[9]. The earthquake took place in an area where faults had been previously identified and had the potential to become active again at any moment.[6]
Earthquake
The earthquake had a moment magnitude of 4.8 and a depth of 2.9 miles (4.7 km). Its epicenter was in Tewksbury Township, New Jersey, at 40.683°N 74.753°W, which is about 3 miles (5 km) north of Oldwick, 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Bedminster, and 9 miles (14 km) northeast of Lebanon, along the Ramapo Fault.[6] The strong side of the quake was detected in portions of Hunterdon, Morris, and Somerset counties, including the cities of Clinton, Somerville and Bridgewater.[citation needed] Tremors were felt all across the Northeastern United States from Maine in the north to Washington, D.C., and Norfolk, Virginia, in the south.[2][10]
Several minor aftershocks took place near the epicenter in the hours after the impact, the strongest of which had a magnitude of 4.0 and took place near Gladstone around 5:59 p.m. local time.[1][11] The USGS projected a 46% chance of an aftershock with a magnitude greater than 3 and a 3% chance of a stronger earthquake with a magnitude above 5 within a week of the initial impact.[1][2]
Impact
Several buildings in New York City, Philadelphia, Trenton, and Long Island were shaken.[12][10] The USGS estimated that the earthquake was felt by about 42 million people in the area.[10]
The earthquake interrupted a meeting of the Security Council at the United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan,[12] while a performance at the New York Philharmonic was briefly delayed by cell phones sounding an alert at 11:02, which was sent about 40 minutes after the earthquakes were felt.[1][13][14] A gas leak was reported in Rockland County, New York.[1]
Four three-story houses on Seventh Avenue in Newark, New Jersey, were damaged by the earthquake. Twenty-eight residents were evacuated, but no injuries were reported. Three of the houses were "partially toppled" and were subsequently condemned.[1][4]
Aftermath
The Federal Aviation Administration completely halted flights at Newark Liberty International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport. Arrivals into Baltimore/Washington International, LaGuardia, and Teterboro Airports were delayed.[1] The air traffic control tower at Newark Liberty International Airport was also evacuated.[15]
The first emergency alert sent to New York City residents came 26 minutes after the earthquake to subscribers of the Notify NYC service. A Wireless Emergency Alert was sent out to the broader region even later, with New Yorkers reporting it arriving 40 minutes after the earthquake.[16] Amid criticism, New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Ischol defended the delayed response in a press conference, saying that "Twenty minutes is very fast for a public alert,"[17] and that they needed that time to confirm that it was indeed an earthquake.[16]
The PATCO Speedline temporarily suspended service for inspection "out of an abundance of caution."[4] Amtrak train speeds were restricted throughout the Northeast while railroad tracks were being inspected for damage, and NJ Transit trains were expected to be delayed by up to 20 minutes.[18] AirTrain Newark at the Newark Liberty International Airport was also closed for inspection while its flights were ungrounded.[1]
The Holland Tunnel, a major crossing of the Hudson River, was briefly closed for inspection between 11:00 and 11:15 local time.[12][4] The Lincoln Tunnel was also briefly closed.[19]
See also
- Seismicity of the New York City area
- List of earthquakes in the United States
- List of earthquakes in 2024
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Live Updates: 4.8 Magnitude Earthquake Rattles New York City and Northeast". The New York Times. April 5, 2024. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Shapiro, Emily (April 5, 2024). "New Jersey, New York City rocked by rare 4.8 magnitude earthquake: Live updates". ABC News. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ Meko, Hurubie (April 5, 2024). "What appeared to be an aftershock was felt throughout New Jersey and New York City Friday afternoon at around 6 p.m." The New York Times. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Chow, Denise (April 5, 2024). "Earthquake hits U.S. East Coast, shaking buildings from Philadelphia to Boston". NBC News. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ Holliday Smith, Rachel; Homenuk, John. "What to Know About NYC's Biggest Earthquake in 140 Years". The City. Archived from the original on 5 April 2024. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
- ^ a b c "M 4.8 - 2024 Whitehouse Station, New Jersey Earthquake". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ Sykes, L.R., J.G. Armbruster, W.Y. Kim, and L. Seeber (2008), Observations and Tectonic Setting of Historic and Instrumentally Located Earthquakes in the Greater New York City–Philadelphia Area, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 98(4), 1696–1719.
- ^ Kleeman, Katrin (September 10, 2018). "29 November 1783: The Night the US East Coast Was Awoken by 'a Small Shock of an Earthquake". Environmental History Now. Archived from the original on 2024-01-10. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
- ^ Bradley, Kyle; Hubbard, Judith A. (2024-04-05). "M4.8 New Jersey earthquake shakes Northeastern United States". Earthquake Insights. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
- ^ a b c "Magnitude 4.8 earthquake shakes Long Island and New York City areas". Newsday. April 5, 2024. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ "M 2.2 - 4 km ENE of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ a b c Harte, Julia; Ax, Joseph (April 5, 2024). "Magnitude 4.8 earthquake hits New York City region, USGS says". Reuters. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ "Earthquake shakes New York City, New Jersey: Live updates". AP News. Archived from the original on 2024-04-05. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
- ^ "Yes, New York City Had an Earthquake Today". Curbed. April 5, 2024. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ Elassar, Ray; Sanchez, Alaa (April 5, 2024). "Earthquake rattles Northeast with shaking felt from New England to DC region". CNN. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ a b Fitzsimmons, Emma G. (April 5, 2024). "Why did New York City's earthquake alert take so long?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ Way, Katie (April 5, 2024). "NYC Pregames Solar Eclipse With a 4.8 Magnitude Earthquake". Hell Gate. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ Sullivan, Brian K; Gindis, Mia; Woodhouse, Skylar (April 5, 2024). "NY Area Hit by Biggest Quake in 140 Years; Flights Disrupted". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 2024-04-05. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
- ^ US: A magnitude-4.8 earthquake in New Jersey causes minor transport disruptions on April 5. /update 1 Archived 2024-04-05 at the Wayback Machine, Crisis 24 Garda, April 5, 2024