Another Small Earthquake Rattles Central N.J. [Ramapo Fault system]

WCBS-TV ^ | Feb 15, 2009

[ETL]

MORRISTOWN, N.J. (CBS) -- For the second time in two weeks, a small earthquake has rattled an area of central New Jersey.

But like the last quake in Morris County, no significant damage or injuries were reported.

The latest earthquake, with a magnitude of 2.2, was recorded shortly before 5:30 p.m. Saturday, said Scott DiGiralomo, a coordinator with the county's office of emergency management. He told The Star-Ledger of Newark that the quake's epicenter was about 6 miles north of Boonton, and it was felt in neighboring Montville.

An earthquake of magnitude 3.0 had rattled windows and alarmed residents of several Morris communities on Feb. 2 at 10:34 p.m., triggering a flood of 9-1-1 calls.

"It sounded like an explosion and the house shook," resident Dan Servidio said.

The epicenter was five miles west-northwest of Morristown, along the Ramapo fault. It could be felt in Rockaway, Dover and Morris Plains as far as 30 miles away.

"We felt rumbling and thought something fell off a shelf," resident Lisa Cheek said.

"I was upstairs on my computer, and all of a sudden I hear a boom, boom, boom, then a bang, bang, bang. My monitor almost fell off of my computer desk," said resident Stephen Garcia. "So I immediately went downstairs to check on my grandma and ask her if she was alright or if she fell."

Scientists said the quake was shallow, only two miles deep. It had a magnitude of 3.0. Seismologist Dr. Won-Young Kim is with the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in Palisades, New York where the quake was recorded. He said the quake was big for this area. "We usually have 2 or 2.5," he said.

The quake lasted almost ten seconds. Last July there was a 2.1. "Three or greater is very rare," he said.

What caused it was an abrupt shift of horizontal plates below the surface, along the faultline. It would've been felt farther away if the movement of plates was more intense.

Amy Vaughn, a Geophysicist from USGS also spoke with CBS 2 HD: "This is what's considered a micro-size quake. However, it is widely felt in this area. But usually a quake of this size is not going to be very damaging."

The official explanation: there's no fault line in that area, just a shifting of the earth and scientists say small earthquakes or tremors strike our area more often than people realize.

"I actually thought there was a huge plow in my driveway, cause there was such a huge rumbling," Bernie Recevello said.

Within the coming week there could be aftershocks, up to a magnitude 2. They have to be 1.5 in order to be felt.

Despite rattling some nerves across the area, no injuries were reported as a result of the quake.

[ETL]

Earthquakes and the Ramapo Fault System in Southeastern New York State

Epicenters of earthquakes occurring between 1627 and 2003 in the New York City metropolitan region. Historical earthquakes and other events prior to 1970 are plotted with "hexagons", whereas earthquakes that have occurred since 1970 – when systematic earthquake monitoring began in the region – are plotted with "circles". The symbol size is proportional to magnitude. The largest known earthquake is this region occurred on 10 August 1884, offshore near Far Rockaway. Seismographic stations are plotted with "black triangles" for short-period stations and "red triangles" for modern broadband seismographic stations. These stations are part of ANSS (Advanced National Seismic System) and are used to monitor earthquakes and ground motion near important buildings and critical infrastructure. The Ramapo Fault System is shown as a red line. Note how the earthquakes tend to be associated with the Ramapo Fault System.

This fact sheet is intended to provide a concise summary of the state of knowledge about the Ramapo Fault System and earthquakes in the greater New York City metropolitan area. The Ramapo Fault System is part of the largest seismically active province in this region.

The Ramapo Fault System The Ramapo Fault is part of a system of north-east striking, southeast-dipping faults, which are mapped from southeastern New York to eastern Pennsylvania and beyond. These faults were active at different times during the evolution of the Appalachians, especially in the Mesozoic when they served as border faults to the Newark Basin and other extensional basins formed by the opening of the Atlantic Ocean approximately 200 million years ago.

Seismicity Earthquakes, including damaging historic events with magnitudes as high as mb = 5.2, occur throughout the lower Hudson region in southern New York and northern New Jersey (See Figure). For example, notable earthquakes in the region around Peekskill include: June 7, 1974, Wappingers Falls sequence (mb(Lg)=3.3); January 17, 1980, Annsville, near Peekskill, New York (mb(Lg)=2.9). Earthquake epicenters in the region, although scattered, generally follow a southwest-to-northeast trend from eastern Pennsylvania, through New Jersey, and into the Hudson Highlands in Rockland, Westchester and Putnam Counties. Although the epicenters are scattered, the seismicity patterns appear to be concentrated along several geologic features, including the Ramapo Fault System. Seismologists can detect active faults when the locations of individual events can be resolved accurately. Interestingly, many of these active faults appear to cross the Ramapo Fault System, indicating a complex relationship between present-day stress in the Earth’s crust and pre-existing geological features. This is an area of frontier seismological research.

For example, seismologists from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, working with equipment supplied by the U.S. Geological Survey, are currently monitoring a swarm of earthquakes near Milford, New Jersey, within one kilometer of the mapped Ramapo Fault. This study suggests that the levels of crustal stress in the Northeastern U.S. are sufficient to activate fractures associated with the Ramapo Fault System. An open question is whether these active structures will fracture in a large damaging earthquake. Damaging earthquakes have occurred in the Northeast several times in the last three centuries, indicating that this is a distinct possibility. Unfortunately, the ability to monitor potential earthquake sources with sufficient accuracy, as well as the ground motion near critical buildings and infrastructure, is compromised by the limited availability of modern instrumentation.

Earthquake Monitoring and its Applications:

In areas such as the Northeast, where background seismicity levels are low, and the implications of a destructive earthquake are high, earthquake monitoring is essential to mapping presently active geologic faults. The same instruments are also used to calibrate the regional application of national earthquake hazard mapping procedures, which are used in the development and implementation of appropriate building codes, and the regulation of critical facilities such as bridges and power plants. Lamont-Doherty, through the Advanced National Seismic System, is a partner with the U.S. Geological Survey in developing the operational capability and scientific background needed for earthquake hazard reduction in the Northeast.

This briefing document was prepared by: Klaus Jacob, Won-Young Kim, Arthur Lerner-Lam*, and Leonardo Seeber (all at: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University). Funding for regional earthquake monitoring is provided to Columbia by the U.S. Geological Survey under the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program andthe Advanced National Seismic System.

*to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Version dated 22 March 2004

http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/news/2004/04_30_04.htm

[al baby]

Out in So. Cal we just call them burbs give me a 6.0 and well talk

[Young Werther]

I knew we would have problems when the Giants moved to Jersey!

They could take a Jet to get outta town but deicing is on the cake!

[NordP]

QUESTION:

Earthquake or perhaps Terrorist Underground Bomb Testing???

...something to ponder in this day and age (and especially in New Jersey---terrorists training in the woods there and trying to kill our military guys---remember???).

[Doc Savage]

Damn Rove. It’s Bush’s fault!

[ETL]

I enlarged the map so it will be somewhat easier to make out the locations of previous earthquake activity in the region.

Earthquakes and the Ramapo Fault System in Southeastern New York State

Epicenters of earthquakes occurring between 1627 and 2003 in the New York City metropolitan region. Historical earthquakes and other events prior to 1970 are plotted with "hexagons", whereas earthquakes that have occurred since 1970 – when systematic earthquake monitoring began in the region – are plotted with "circles". The symbol size is proportional to magnitude. The largest known earthquake is this region occurred on 10 August 1884, offshore near Far Rockaway. Seismographic stations are plotted with "black triangles" for short-period stations and "red triangles" for modern broadband seismographic stations. These stations are part of ANSS (Advanced National Seismic System) and are used to monitor earthquakes and ground motion near important buildings and critical infrastructure. The Ramapo Fault System is shown as a red line. Note how the earthquakes tend to be associated with the Ramapo Fault System.

http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/news/2004/04_30_04.htm

[ETL]

It’s Bush’s fault!

No, it was Ramapo's Fault!

[ßuddaßudd]

One can only hope that a large earthquake will break NJ off and fall in the ocean...

[wombtotomb]

little tougher in NJ, houses/buildings not built to withstand earthquakes. Very concentrated population. Could be alot of loss of life there. I worry for some family that lives there, Montvale, Jackson, and some in Monmouth County.

[al baby]

My comment was some what sarcastic Im well aware of the building discrepancy
Alan

[Reeses]

Unfortunately, the ability to monitor potential earthquake sources with sufficient accuracy, as well as the ground motion near critical buildings and infrastructure, is compromised by the limited availability of modern instrumentation.

There's the plug for for more funding. They don't mention the funding for the scientist that gets to monitor and maintain the modern instrumentation. That's a cushy government job: monitoring earthquakes in NJ. You get free high-speed internet, bankers hours, and bring a 250 gigabyte iPod.

[wombtotomb]

I’m sure. I know how it is on here. Liberal areas are liberal areas after all. I am sure you are sick to death of hearing how many wish the san andreas fault would let go as well. Now if I can just convince my family members to get out of there..........

[bikerman]

Obama’s fault.

[Pharmboy]

Morris County--where Rockaway, Dover, Morris Plains, Boonton and Montville are located--voted for Bush twice by a large margin and also voted for McCain this time around. We have a pretty conservative congresscritter also--Rodney Frelinghuysen.

Did the county you live in do as well for conservatives? I sure hope so...

[ßuddaßudd]

Thats nice.
No, of course not.
Glad to see my sarcasm still works,,

[Pharmboy]

Hey look...I moved here from NYC to escape the craziness, only to find that (in what USED to be a fairly conservative state) the libs came here and totally effed things up. I will move again...but...sometimes I lose a bit of my patience in having (my admittedly crappy state) repeadtedly savaged on my beloved FreeRepublic.

It would be nice if--on occasion--thoughts like yours were tempered with "except for the good conservatives that live there."

Best,
PB

[ßuddaßudd]

Understood. I'll do my best not to offend you in the future.
Cheers!

[muawiyah]

Quakes in CA have to be up to 6.0+ to cause damage. Eastern quakes can cause comparable damage at a far lower rating, and can cause that damage for vast distances.

In the East the subsurface structures are not broken up with thousands of faults and slipzones so when a quake happens it's moving far larger hunks of continent than Western quakes.