Earthquake shakes Richmond, Virginia, as residents report 'major boom'

Some residents of the Old Dominion area had a strange surprise yesterday evening, as their homes were reported to be shaking around them.

A 2.8-magnitude earthquake occurred at about 5:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), with the epicenter located northwest of Richmond, Virginia.

What areas were affected by the earthquake?

A “light” tremor was detected in the immediate vicinity of the epicenter, in Rockville on the outskirts of Richmond, and some tremors were felt up to 500 miles from the epicenter, with a “weak” tremor as far away as Providence, Rhode Island.

Stock image of a seismograph during a (major) earthquake and a US Geological Survey map of where the 2.8 magnitude earthquake was felt around Virginia. Some of the tremors were felt as far away as Rhode… Stock image of a seismograph during a (major) earthquake and a US Geological Survey map of where the 2.8 magnitude earthquake was felt around Virginia. Some tremors were felt as far away as Rhode Island. MORE ISTOCK/GETTY PLUS/USGS IMAGES

Several other “weak” tremors were reported in Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania, the US Geological Survey said.

Many residents flocked to social media to report the quake, in response to a question from local CBS 6 News regarding the shaking.

“The whole house shook!!” One person commented on Facebook, as CBS 6 reported.

Another said: “There was a big explosion and the whole house shook. The foundations shook severely.”

How big is the earthquake?

The magnitude of the earthquake was 2.8, and earthquakes between magnitude 2.0 and 3.9 are considered small earthquakes that rarely cause damage.

The intensity of earthquakes is measured on a logarithmic scale, meaning that each integer increase represents a tenfold increase in the strength of seismic waves, resulting in about 31.6 times more energy being released.

Although the area is not near active tectonic plate boundaries like those in California or the Pacific Ring of Fire, earthquakes can occur in locations like Virginia due to natural stress and movement in the Earth's crust.

The Central Virginia Seismic Zone includes several small but active faults that occasionally release energy, causing minor to moderate earthquakes.

“The Central Virginia seismic zone is far from the nearest plate boundaries, which are located in the mid-Atlantic Ocean and in the Caribbean Sea. The seismic zone is filled with known faults but many smaller or deeply buried faults remain undiscovered,” the USGS said.

When was the last earthquake in Richmond?

Richmond experiences semi-frequent mild earthquakes like this one, usually with a magnitude of less than 3.0.

“Since at least 1774, people in central Virginia have felt small earthquakes and suffered damage from infrequent larger earthquakes,” the USGS explains. “Small earthquakes that cause little or no damage are felt every year or two.”

The most notable seismic event in the region was the August 23, 2011, magnitude 5.8 earthquake, with its epicenter near Mineral, about 38 miles northwest of Richmond.

The earthquake was widely felt across the eastern United States and caused significant structural damage, including the Washington Monument and the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

Do you have advice on a science story Newsweek should cover? Do you have a question about earthquakes? Let us know at science@newsweek.com.

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