Rhode Island was among several East Coast states that felt a small earthquake this morning.
The 4.8 magnitude quake happened around 10:25 a.m. and was centered in New Jersey.
Earthquakes are extremely rare in the Northeast. University of Rhode Island Professor of Geosciences Brian Savage says that’s why people notice when a quake does occur. Still, he doesn’t think today’s quake amounts to anything to worry about.
“If there were a whole collection of 4.8 earthquakes at once, that would be slightly concerning, but having one is not something of great concern,” Savage said.
Brown University Professor of Geological Sciences Karen Fischer says even though the quake was small, it was felt in multiple states because of the geologic makeup of the East Coast.
“If you took an earthquake this large, but it instead occurred in California, the waves would get absorbed by the rocks there much faster because they’re warmer,” Fischer said. “When a little quake happens on the East Coast, it’s felt over a much, much wider area.”
Savage says the fact that Northeastern states are densely populated also explains why smaller quakes are felt in this region.
“If there’s an earthquake on the East Coast, somebody’s going to feel it,” Savage said. “In places like Nevada or the Mojave Desert in southern California, there’s not many people that live in places where earthquakes occur. So there has to be a large enough event for someone to actually feel it out there.”