200 More Tremors Hit New Jersey Since Magnitude 4.8 Quake

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(TNS) – The 2.2 magnitude earthquake that shook western New Jersey early Wednesday was the 201st tremor in the state since a major 4.8 earthquake in early April rocked the eastern United States.

The latest was centered about 3 miles east of Califon, a small borough in Hunterdon County that has experienced dozens of tremors since a magnitude 4.8 quake centered in nearby Tewskbury on April 5.

The earthquake happened at about 1:40 a.m. and was the first with a magnitude of at least 2.0 in New Jersey since May 24, according to United States Geological Service data.

There have been 17 earthquakes of 2.0 magnitude or more since the major tremor of 4.8 recorded on April 5.

While some people in Califon reported on the NextDoor app that they felt light shaking, Califon Borough Administrator and Clerk Karen Mastro wasn’t among them.

“Once again, I slept through it,” Mastro said Wednesday morning. One of her colleagues in borough hall also didn’t feel the earthquake.

Office of Emergency Management officials in Hunterdon County didn’t report any damage from the earthquake and Mastro said around mid-morning that no one has called borough hall about it.

The United States Geological Service didn’t respond to a request for additional information on Wednesday morning.

The USGS has said aftershocks typically become less frequent with time, “although they can continue for days, weeks, months, or even years for a very large mainshock.”

In July, there have been six earthquakes in New Jersey — five around Califon and one near New Egypt in Ocean County. Fifteen were recorded in New Jersey during June.

More quake-reading technology has been scattered across parts of New Jersey near the location of the April earthquake.

With the added tools, researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey and Rutgers University hope to pinpoint the source, strength and duration of recent aftershocks while better identifying where the first quake originated.

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.