At 10:23 a.m. ET, a magnitude 4.8 earthquake shook the East Coast, causing shaking in New Jersey, Philadelphia, New York and Connecticut, and stranding many New York travelers.
This is a relatively minor earthquake and no injuries or damage to infrastructure have been reported so far.
An earthquake of this magnitude is “enough to shake walls, but generally does not produce serious damage,” Kenneth Miller, a geologist at Rutgers University, said in an emailed statement.
The USGS has identified northern New Jersey as the epicenter of a 4.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred on April 5. USGS
This earthquake occurred on the Ramapo Border Fault, at an estimated depth of just over four miles, Miller said.
Earthquakes along this fault are not uncommon, but they are usually magnitude three or less. Some aftershocks might be possible, but they will be much weaker, he wrote.
This is a rare phenomenon on this side of the United States. Earthquakes in the Northeast are less likely because this region is not located on a tectonic plate boundary: where two different plates meet.
Last year in New York, for example, there were only four earthquakes. While in California, there were more than 9,000, according to the World Population Review.
With just three days until the April 8 total solar eclipse, many are wondering if the eclipse could have triggered today’s earthquake. Here’s what the science says about it.
Solar eclipses do not cause earthquakes
The upcoming solar eclipse on April 8 will not significantly affect Friday’s earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Total solar eclipses have no unique impact on Earth’s tides and therefore do not cause earthquakes. Photography by John Finney/Getty Images
Some research suggests that a new moon – which causes a solar eclipse because the moon is positioned between Earth and the sun – can increase the likelihood of strong earthquakes.
But today’s earthquake was too small for that to be the case.
“It has nothing to do with the solar eclipse. For earthquakes of this magnitude, there is basically no correlation with celestial bodies,” said Paul Earle, director of operations at the National Information Center on earthquakes from the USGS, during a press briefing Friday.
So, while experiencing an earthquake three days before the solar eclipse is a rare and interesting phenomenon, it is also a fortuitous coincidence.
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