A magnitude 3.8 earthquake shook the northeastern United States this Monday morning, with the epicenter located near York Harbor, Maine.
The tremors were felt as far away as Boston, Massachusetts, as well as New Hampshire and Rhode Island, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The event occurred at 10:22 a.m. local time.
John Ebel, senior scientist at Boston College’s Weston Observatory, told WBZ-TV: “This is the kind of earthquake that happens once every five years.” The USGS said the quake occurred at a depth of more than 8 miles (about 13 kilometers) below the surface. No tsunami threat has been reported for New England, according to the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center.
Terry Eliasen, executive weather producer at WBZ-TV, explained that although the region is not on active fault lines, an earthquake of this magnitude is significant for the area. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency said it had received reports of tremors being felt in the state, but no immediate information on damage was released. The agency reiterated earthquake safety precautions: duck, cover and hold on.
Aftershocks are possible. John Ebel mentioned that aftershocks of magnitude 2.8 to 3.1 could be felt by residents of the northern coast of Massachusetts, as well as coastal areas of New Hampshire and southern Maine.
Earthquakes are rare but not unknown in this region. In 2020, a magnitude 3.6 earthquake had already been felt in Maine, reminding us that New England, although less prone to earthquakes than other parts of the USA, is not exempt from this geological activity.
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