On Friday, April 5th, an earthquake hit the Northeastern United States at around 10:23 A.M. For New Jersey, the earthquake registered with a magnitude of 4.8, however, no serious injuries were reported.  

     The earthquake was felt from Boston down to Baltimore, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and people reported feeling the tremors from 5, to more than 30 seconds. The epicenter, or point of origin, of the earthquake was detected about 45 miles West of New York City and 40 miles East of Allentown, Pennsylvania, according to the USGS, which is a mapping agency that provides science about natural hazards.

     Earthquakes occurring in the Northeastern U.S. are a relatively rare thing, and New Jersey has not experienced a significant earthquake in years. However, this particular earthquake was the third-largest earthquake recorded around the New York metropolitan region in nearly 75 years. 

     Later, on the morning of the 5th, the first of many aftershocks began to occur, starting at around 11:20 A.M.  While most of the aftershocks were relatively minor, a much larger one was felt just before 6pm, registering at 3.8.  In the weeks that followed the event, over 150 aftershocks were recorded in New Jersey, but fortunately, none of them were as powerful as the initial quake.

     In the wake of the dramatic earthquake, scientists explained that while they do not happen very often, NJ is susceptible to some level of earthquakes.  This most recent one left residents of the state feeling a variety of emotions ranging from confused to downright concerned.  Hopefully, this was an isolated incident, and NJ will not be dealing with any more earthquakes in the near future.