Why East Coast Earthquakes Travel Further Than West Coast Ones
Friday’s earthquake on the East Coast caused a social media storm with New Yorkers expressing a mix of emotions through jokes and memes. The 4.8-magnitude quake, which halted air travel temporarily, was felt by millions, according to USGS seismologist Paul Earle.
Scientific Reason: While West Coasters may be accustomed to earthquakes, the USGS revealed that East Coast quakes are felt much farther due to the difference in rock types on either side of the country.
Rock Difference and Wave Travel
Harder Rocks: Seismic waves travel greater distances through the hard, old, and dense rocks on the East Coast before dissipating, making the tremors felt four to five times farther compared to those on the West Coast, explained Earle.
Wave Behavior: Veronica Cedillos of GeoHazards International highlighted that seismic waves travel longer distances on the East Coast as compared to the West Coast where energy is absorbed quickly.
Depth and Quake Types
Depth Variation: East Coast quakes are shallower compared to the deeper West Coast ones due to the absence of active subduction, according to Ben Fernando of Johns Hopkins.
Impact: As a result, the recent East Coast earthquake, only 3 miles deep, was felt widely from Philadelphia to Boston, being the most significant quake in New Jersey in nearly 250 years.
Rarity: While earthquakes are uncommon in the Tri-state area, the recent tremor near Newark marked a historic event, reminding East Coasters of the infrequency of such occurrences.