With 50 aftershocks recorded after the earthquake. The team begins to study data

LONG ISLAND, NY — Six days after Friday's 4.8-magnitude earthquake, considered one of the region's largest of the past century — a series of more than 50 aftershocks have struck New Jersey, with some felt in Long Island and the tri-state area.

To that end, a team at the US Geological Survey has begun a deployment of seismic sensors in an effort to capture aftershock data.

The team is deploying eight “aftershock kits” this week, which will collect information such as where aftershocks originate in the region, how long they last and their magnitude, said Greg Tanner, a USGS electronics technician at the USGS Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory. who is on the kit installation team in New Jersey.

This effort is being performed in collaboration with partners at the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University, the Texas Seismological Network at the University of Texas at Austin, Rutgers University and Yale University, which are also developing seismic sensors, the USGS said.

Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes that occur in the same general area over the course of days to years after a larger event, or “main earthquake,” the USGS said.

So far, the USGS has recorded 50 aftershocks ranging from 1.3 to 3.8 after the April 5 quake. Next week, the USGS predicts a 12 percent chance of an aftershock of magnitude 3 or greater, and a 1 percent chance of a magnitude 4 or greater, the USGS said.

Although earthquakes in the region are not frequent, they are not unexpected, USGS research geologist Jessica Thompson Jobe explained at a news conference after the big shock on Friday. He explained that while there are no active faults in this area, there are dozens of older, inactive faults that formed millions of years ago.

“Under the current stresses of the moving tectonic plates, these faults can be reactivated intermittently,” Jobe said.

Earthquakes are felt more strongly and farther from their epicenters in the eastern United States than in the West, which explains why there were widespread reports of tremors along the East Coast, the USGS said.

More than 183,000 people have reported feeling shaky using the “Did you feel it?” of the USGS. online tool.

Eastern North America tends to have older rocks, some of which formed hundreds of millions of years before those in the West. These generally older formations have been exposed to extreme pressures and temperatures, often making them harder and denser, said USGS Research Geophysicist Oliver Boyd.

Faults in older rocks have also had more time to heal, which allows seismic waves to travel through them more efficiently when an earthquake occurs.

“It's like ringing a bell that's in good shape, the lyrics ringing one with lots of cracks,” Boyd explained. “The sound from the good bell will have a louder, stronger and more lasting tone.”

The aftershock kits to be developed will include sensors that record strong, high-frequency motion, a device that sends digital information over the cellular network, and solar panels. The sensors will send real-time data back to the USGS National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colorado for analysis. Some of the kits will stand alone and others will be co-located with existing stream gauges monitored by the USGS New Jersey Water Science Center, the USGS said.

“No one can predict the exact time, location or location of any earthquake,” said Sarah McBride with the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program.

However, the study of aftershocks can provide researchers with vital information about the nature of earthquakes in order to better prepare for future events.

According to the United States Geological Survey, USGS, a magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck 7 kilometers northeast of the Whitehouse, NJ station on Friday just after 10:20 a.m. The quake was felt in the tri-state area and to the north.

The New York State Office of Emergency Management sent out an alert shortly after noon. “An earthquake occurred in New Jersey. The earthquake was felt throughout New York State. Aftershocks may occur. Call 911 only if you or others are injured or have an emergency.”

The USGS said magnitude is expressed in whole numbers and decimal fractions, adding that “a magnitude of 5.3 is a moderate earthquake and a 6.3 is a strong earthquake.” Michigan Tech reported that a magnitude of 2.5 to 5.4 is “often noticeable but causes only minor damage,” not reporting about 500,000 annually.

“A 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck west of Manhattan and was felt throughout New York City,” Governor Kathy Hochsul said. “My team is assessing the impact and any damage that may have occurred and we will update the public throughout the day.”

Hochul added: “This is one of the largest earthquakes on the east coast that occurred in the last century.”

Across Long Island, residents took to social media to share the experience: “My house was shaking,” echoed one after another.