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Remember the Earthquake That Hit New York in 2024? Scientists Finally Found the Source
Gizmodo • • science
Key Points:
- A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck Tewksbury, New Jersey, on April 5, 2024, surprising an estimated 42 million people along the East Coast, a region not known for seismic activity.
- Researchers identified the earthquake’s origin as a previously unmapped fault zone in the New Jersey Highlands, named the Mountainville Fault, rather than the nearby Ramapo Fault.
- The study, published in JGR Solid Earth, highlights that significant earthquake hazards on the East Coast may come from subtle, immature faults that are difficult to detect on the surface.
- The earthquake involved a combination of thrust and strike-slip fault mechanisms, indicating complex fault movement and underscoring the presence of hidden fault planes in the region.
- Understanding these lesser-known faults is crucial for improving seismic hazard assessments, especially in densely populated areas like New York City, as the 2024 quake was the largest recorded in New Jersey since 1900.
