More Morris county quakes possible

The Morris area has been rocked by two earthquakes in two weeks, and one seismologist says he wouldn't be surprised if another were to follow.

Won-Young Kim, senior research scientist and seismologist at The Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in Palisades, N.Y., said Morris residents should be aware -- not alarmed -- that an earthquake can happen at any time.

"I wouldn't be surprised if there is a 2.5 earthquake tomorrow," Kim said on Sunday. "We don't know exactly when or where, but small earthquakes tend to occur close together."

A 2.4 magnitude earthquake was recorded at 5:22 p.m. Saturday in Montville, about three miles north of Boonton. The quake could be felt in Butler, Morristown, Kinnelon and Boonton. On Feb. 2, just nine miles away, a 3.0 earthquake registered in Denville, sending rumbles to Rockaway, Dover and as far away as Morristown and Sussex County.

There were no reports of damage or injuries in either case, but residents flooded local police with 911 calls.

Both earthquakes were relatively shallow, occurring about a mile deep, and both were along the Ramapo Fault, a 200 million-year-old fault line on the North American Plate, Kim said.

While the exact cause of the earthquakes is unknown, Kim said, there is an east-west compressional force at work in the region caused by the force of the Midatlantic Ridge pressing against the North American Plate.

"It is not that strong of a force, just big enough to cause small ruptures," Kim said. "The earth is in the continuous process of mountain-building."

Earthquakes have also been caused by human action, such as coal mining or oil wells, or in the case of a series of earthquakes in Colorado in the 1960s, the U.S. Army pumping contaminated water into the ground.

Paul Caruso, a geophysicist with the United States Geological Survey, said it is impossible to predict earthquakes and said doing so would be speculation.

"Earthquakes have a mind of their own and each is unique," Caruso said. "Generally, there are smaller earthquakes every two to three years. In this area, they are usually moderate and much less active than the earthquakes felt west of the Rocky Mountains."

Montville residents said they didn't even feel a rumble during Saturday's quake, but just heard a loud booming noise resembling an explosion. It only lasted a few seconds, many said.

"It sounded like a dresser upstairs dropped a whole floor or like something blew up in the house," said 47-year-old Michael Rowek of Montville. "I didn't think it was an earthquake. There was no rumbling; it was like one big explosion."

Pat Ferrara, 59, of Boonton Avenue in Montville, said he mistook the earthquake for an explosion at Picatinny Arsenal.

"It was a loud roar then it was quiet," Ferrara said. "I spoke to people two miles away who hadn't noticed it."

Fred Margulies, 51, described the quake as a "sharp and quick whack." He said he experienced a slightly larger earthquake at his Montville home about five years ago.

"The one five years ago, that really got your attention," Margulies said. "You felt much more of a tremor from underneath and it lasted longer. The house really shook."

The Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, part of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, plans to investigate the cause of the earthquakes further to see which direction the rupture cracked and whether there are any outside factors at play, Kim said.

"People shouldn't be alarmed, but aware an earthquake can happen any time," Kim said. "Make sure that items in your house are secure, and remember that the best place to be during an earthquake is in a doorway."

Cool! I knew jersey had fault lines but unfortunately none near me. I have always wanted to live through one.

I think there is a fualt line in Sparta, NJ.

3rd small earthquake rattles Morris County

MORRISTOWN, N.J. (AP) — For the third time in three weeks, a small earthquake has rattled an area of north-central New Jersey.

No damage or injuries were reported from the 2.3 magnitude quake, which was recorded shortly before 1:42 a.m. Wednesday.

Scott DiGiralomo, a coordinator with the county's office of emergency management, says the epicenter was just over a mile outside Dover. It was felt mostly by people in Denville and Randolph.

The quake is the third to hit Morris County since Feb. 2.

A 3.0 magnitude earthquake rattled windows and alarmed residents on Feb. 2. That quake was centered in Rockaway, Dover and Morris Plains.

A 2.2 magnitude quake on Valentine's Day shook residents in Boonton and neighboring Montville.