According to USGS, a magnitude 2.4 earthquake struck near Paramus in northern New Jersey at 1:03pm. Hundreds across New Jersey and New York have already used the USGS “Did you feel it?” website reporting tool to say they felt and/or heard this afternoon’s earthquake.
Bergen County’s Office of Emergency Management said they are “confirming an earthquake through the USGS that has impacted the Paramus area. It is reported to be magnitude of 2.4. Please call 9-1-1 to report emergencies only.” They added, “No reports of serious damage have been reported at this time. We will continue to monitor this situation and issue further alerts as warranted.”
This earthquake appears to be unrelated to the ongoing earthquake sequence that kicked off last April in northern New Jersey on the morning of the 5th. A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck near Tewksbury at 10:23 am. Since then, there have been hundreds of additional aftershocks, including two stronger ones.
According to USGS, the April 5, 2024 occurred as a result of oblique reverse and strike-slip faulting at shallow depths in the crust. Although this event did not occur near a plate boundary, such “intraplate” earthquakes can and do occur. “While this earthquake is relatively small globally, earthquakes of this magnitude are commonly widely felt in the eastern United States because of efficient seismic wave propagation in the region,” the USGS said.
