2.9-magnitude aftershock strikes Somerset County following 4.8 earthquake near Whitehouse Station

In Somerset County, New Jersey, a 2.9-magnitude aftershock from an earthquake occurred at around 9:50 am on Saturday morning as reported by the US Geological Survey (USGS). The epicenter was near Whitehouse Station which is approximately 45 miles west of New York City in Gladstone. This incident followed a significant event that took place earlier, with a magnitude 4.8 earthquake striking northern New Jersey and causing seismic waves to spread through the northeastern part of America on Friday morning at an unknown time, shocking millions yet inflicting no major damage. The USGS has warned that small aftershocks could still occur in the coming days or even weeks following a primary event. This earthquake was reportedly one of the largest ever recorded in this region since 1973. While earthquakes are less common on the eastern than western edges of America due to its location not being situated atop tectonic plate boundaries, those that do occur can still be powerful as Eastern rocks tend to spread seismic energy across greater distances compared with Western regions where they primarily strike against each other. To check if your area was affected by this earthquake or any others in the region, you may refer to USGS’ interactive map for further details.