Two Minor Earthquakes Shake Parts of New York State

It's been an active year for seismic activity across New York and the Northeast, as at least two more tremors were felt in portions of northern New York this week. The latest quakes struck in an area that just experienced a small tremor earlier in August, says seismologists.

And while both recorded quakes were small in comparison to others around the world, could a much larger earthquake ever occur in New York state?

Where Do Earthquakes In the Area Occur? 

Most earthquakes that happen within the state are either far north towards Quebec, in western New York around Lake Ontario, or closer to the New York City area. The most well-known fault line near our area is the Ramapo fault line.

The 185-mile system of faults runs through parts of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and has been known to spawn smaller earthquakes.

According to the NESEC, around 551 earthquakes were recorded in New York state from 1737 to 2016.

Two Minor Earthquakes Shake Parts of New York State

Records from the USGS posted at Volcano Discovery says that a a light magnitude 2.0 earthquake hit 11 miles away from Salaberry-de-Valleyfield early Wednesday morning.

This follows a weaker 1.2 earthquake which also struck near the New York-Canadian border earlier this week, according to the Weather Boy website. Areas such as Clinton and Franklin Counties in New York have reported some shaking from earthquakes in this vicinity in the past.

Could Something As Strong As a Magnitude 7.0 Ever Occur in NY?

Some say this fault system is much more complex and extensive than originally thought.

A 2008 study proposed that there may be an additional fault zone extending from the Ramapo Fault into southwestern Connecticut. There are also many smaller faults that  cross across New York City, and the city could be long overdue for a significant earthquake. 

There is also the Western Quebec Seismic Zone, which can produce larger quakes that can be felt up and down the eastern coast of the United States, particularly for their neighbors directly south in the Empire State. This is where the strongest quakes happen near us.