Magnitude 4.8 earthquake and aftershock hits New York area and grounds flights

Friday morning earthquake rattled parts of the East Coast including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut, followed by afternoon aftershock

A 4.8-magnitude earthquake shook residents in the greater New York City on Friday morning, impacting trains and flights as officials assessed for any damages.

Residents were further rattled by an aftershock that followed later that day, reportedly causing rumbling from Pennsylvania to New York to New Jersey.

In preliminary information, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) recorded a 4.0 earthquake around 5pm local time [2200 GMT], centred 7km (4.3 miles) southwest of Gladstone, New Jersey. That’s less than a 20 minute drive northwest of the epicenter of the reported 4.8-magnitude earthquake from earlier that morning.

One resident of New York City’s Brooklyn borough said on X that the back-to-back quakes mean New York should be called “California 2.0,” a reference to the Golden State’s far more regular seismic activity.

The New York City office of emergency management said in a statement that there were “no major damage reports” in the wake of the aftershock.

The quakes caused residents of nearby places like New York City, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut to report buildings shaking as the ground quivered in a rarely-felt earthquake.

Aftershocks could “continue for several days and even a week,” Kishor S Jaiswal, a research structural engineer with the USGS, told The New York Times.

The USGS reported the initial earthquake was around 7.5km deep (4.7 miles) and extended to surrounding states.

Soon after, residents received an emergency alert acknowledging the earthquake and warning that aftershocks are possible.

The USGS’ estimated range of impact from the earthquake on Friday morning (USGS )

Noticeable earthquakes, like the one on Friday morning, are rare in the New York City area. Ones that can be felt may be perceived as more dangerous, though local officials said there were no signs of damages or injuries. New York City’s Emergency Management asked people not to call 911 unless they were in danger.

But the quake did have real impacts on people’s day-to-day.

A flight ground stop was issued for Newark Libert International Airport and John F Kennedy airport while arrivals into La Guardia Airport and Teterboro Airport were temporarily halted.

Earthquakes are measured based on magnitude and intensity. Seismologists measure magnitude on various scales, notably the Richter and Moment Magnitude scale.

The Richter scale, which is arguably the most well-known form of measuring earthquakes, measures the largest amplitude on the recording but experts say it is an outdated way of measuring earthquakes.

The Moment Magnitude scale is the current way the USGS measures magnitude. It combines the body wave, surface wave and Richter scale classification to create the most reliable estimate of earthquake size.

New York governor Kathy Hochul, New Jersey governor Phil Murphy, Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro and Connecticut governor Ned Lamont all said they had been briefed on the earthquake and were assessing any damages or impacts.

So far, there have been no reports of damages or injuries.