So for full disclosure, I will admit that my initial reaction to the earthquake was...well, annoyance. You see, when you work the overnights, you have to sleep during the daytime. Of course, life doesn't stop, just because you are sleeping. So all of the normal activities that go on in the outside world continue, and often wake you up. Indeed, my true, first honest assumption was that it was some jackass running some kind of heavy machinery. And yes, I was annoyed.
Obviously, I was in bed, so I was laying down. It took me a few seconds to fully realize that this was not a dream, and that something was going on. And no, I did not get up and seek shelter, or anything. Again, I thought it might be an earthquake, but that was not my first assumption. After all, how often do we get earthquakes here in Jersey, or on the eastern seaboard more generally? So I just lay there for the 20 to 25 seconds that it lasted, wondering what in the hell that noise and shaking was.
Then, I got up. My neighbors also seemed to be reacting. The cats were still lying down, but they had lifted their heads, with their ears perked up. So I knew it was something that they all had heard and felt. After a couple of minutes, and after beginning to really suspect that it was indeed an earthquake, my girlfriend texted (see the picture below) confirming that, yes, it had been an earthquake. I tried to get back to sleep, but the time for that had passed. The fatigue was gone, for better or for worse.
Now, a little bit more on the actual earthquake. The actual earthquake happened 3 miles under the surface of the Earth, and they have changed the location. At first, I heard it was by Lebanon, New Jersey. Then White House Station. Then, Califon, which is the latest location that I heard as the epicenter of this particular quake.
It was the largest earthquake felt in New Jersey since the 1880's, evidently, although there is an article linked below that says that, in fact, it was the largest earthquake in New Jersey since 1783, the better part of two and a half centuries ago. It was only one of four earthquakes of a magnitude of 4.5 or greater dating back to the 1700's. Obviously, then, this kind of thing just doesn't happen here all that much.
Apparently, the earthquake was felt as far away as Virginia and Maine, both of which are hundreds of miles away. I even heard that it might have been felt in Canada, particularly in Montreal and Ottawa, where there were apparently reports that some people had felt it, although I could not quite confirm that before posting this blog entry. Evidently, the rock underground here on the eastern seaboard is far, far older than it is out West, which is the reason why such earthquakes are felt much farther away than they tend to be out in, say, California, where earthquakes are obviously much more commonplace.
Below are some links to articles about this earthquake, and to historical earthquakes felt in the New York/New Jersey region more generally, which I thought were interesting. Other people may also find these interesting, as well.
Enjoy.
Friday's earthquake was the strongest in NJ since 1783. A look back at quake history 2-minute read David M. Zimmer NorthJersey.com, April 5, 2024:
https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2024/04/05/nj-earthquake-history-april-5-strongest-magnitude-since-1783/73216939007/
N.J. earthquake history: See the full list of earthquakes on record Updated: Apr. 05, 2024, 3:05 p.m.|Published: Apr. 05, 2024:
https://www.nj.com/news/2024/04/nj-earthquake-history-see-the-full-list-of-earthquakes-on-record.html
Magnitude 4.8 earthquake strikes northeastern United States Story by Dan Mangan • 55m:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/magnitude-47-earthquake-strikes-new-york-new-jersey-region/ar-BB1l8mS8?fbclid=IwAR2JVbVwj2E-ZnawbYEye0wQlHwAUnZCT10TSXB0WsFvp3n2Qc6ujV4zXUY_aem_ATkCVl3r-r0oC9pcScbrXVbWap5odhEHLpjw_gvVHhNzp57CVbIW6id-T7DGAMOlHohhSrjPyXKz3q4TbUbq1pZK
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