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Earthquake shakes New York City area
U.S. Geological Survey reported a quake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.8, centered near Lebanon, New Jersey.
NEW JERSEY - A 2.6-magnitude earthquake aftershock was reported Wednesday morning in Gladstone, New Jersey, the USGS said.
Was there an earthquake today?
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the aftershock struck around 7:01 a.m. in Gladstone, Somerset County. Just Saturday morning, a 2.9-magnitude aftershock was reported near the same area. The epicenter was near Whitehouse Station, which is nearly 45 miles west of NYC.
Dozens of aftershocks have been reported since a 4.8 earthquake shook the tri-state area back on April 5. But how many more will we see?
How many more aftershocks will we see?
The USGS says "there is a 3% chance of magnitude 3 and above aftershocks within the next week, and it is most likely that 0 to 1 of these will occur."
"According to our forecast, there is a less than 1% chance of one or more aftershocks that are larger than magnitude 5, which can be damaging, within the next week," the agency said.
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Understanding the science of earthquakes
Today's earthquake is prompting a lot of questions about the mechanics of a tremblor. FOX 5 NY's Sharon Crowley spoke to a geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey to get some answers.
The estimation comes within the next week until May 7. The agency says the number of aftershocks will decrease over time, but "a large aftershock can temporarily increase the number of aftershocks."
What is an aftershock?
Aftershocks are basically smaller earthquakes that occur in the same general area during the hours, days and years following a larger quake, or the "mainshock," according to the USGS.
Aftershocks usually mean that the ground is readjusting itself following the main earthquake.
Earthquake in New Jersey
A 4.8-magnitude earthquake shook New York City and the Tri-State area on April 5, followed by a magnitude 4.0 aftershock later that evening.
The USGS reported a quake at 10:23 a.m. with a preliminary magnitude of 4.8 centered near Whitehouse Station in Hunterdon County. About an hour later, a 2.0-magnitude quake was reported in nearby Bedminster.
Then, just before 6 p.m., a magnitude 4.0 aftershock hit the region, with the epicenter near Gladstone.
Earthquakes are less common on the eastern than western edges of the U.S. because the East Coast does not lie on a boundary of tectonic plates.
But 13 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or stronger have been recorded since 1950 within 311 miles of the tremblor, the USGS said. The strongest was a 5.8-magnitude quake in Mineral, Virginia, on Aug. 23, 2011, that jolted people from Georgia to Canada.
The Associated Press, as well as the FOX Digital Team, helped contribute to this report.