Quakey business: US state hit with 159th earthquake under a month

NEW JERSEY: A mild earthquake measuring 2.6 on the Richter scale shook the state of New Jersey (NJ) in United States (US) on Wednesday, adding to a series of tremors that have occurred over the past month.

The aftershock struck at 7:01 am local time and was centered near Somerset county.

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It marks the 159th aftershock since the initial 4.8 magnitude earthquake that shook the US state on April 5. The most recent aftershock of magnitude 2.9 was recorded just a few days earlier on April 27.

Reports from the US Geological Survey (USGS) indicate that the most recent earthquake was felt across a wide area, all the way to the state of Massachusetts, almost 450 kilometres (km) away.

Despite the frequency, the majority of the earthquakes and aftershocks have been relatively minor. Most have registered below 2 on the Richter scale.

The US scientists are concerned enough to that they deployed additional quake-reading technology across New Jersey, particularly near the location of the initial earthquake. The equipment is facilitated by the USGS and Rutgers University. It aims to better understand the source, strength, and duration of the recent aftershocks. It also hopes to identify the origin of the initial quake.

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Researchers suspect that the initial earthquake occurred near a geological feature that stretches from southeastern US state of New York, across New Jersey and into Pennsylvania. However, US scientists are still not sure whether the quake occurred directly along the primary part of the fault line or along one of its many connected fissures.

The series of earthquakes has attracted significant attention given the unusual nature of seismic activity in the eastern United States. While earthquakes are less common in this region compared to the western United States, their impact can be felt over a wider area due to the older rock formations in the eastern part of the country.

Despite the number of the earthquake rumbling through the region, there have been no reports of significant damage or injuries resulting.