New Research Identifies Previously Unknown Fault Line as Cause of 2024 New Jersey Earthquake
A new working theory suggests that a previously unknown fault line, now named the Mountainville Fault, was responsible for the magnitude-4.8 earthquake that rattled New Jersey in April 2024. The earthquake's epicenter was in Hunterdon County, an area typically not prone to significant seismic activity. For over two years, the prevailing theory attributed the quake to the Ramapo Fault. However, Fola Kolawole, an associate professor at Columbia University, and his research team spent months studying seismic activity in the area. Their findings indicate that the Ramapo Fault could not have been the cause, given the epicenter's location. The discovery of the Mountainville Fault is reshaping understanding of earthquakes in New Jersey, revealing a fault that had long gone undetected. Joe Rega, a resident near the epicenter, described the event as a loud rumble that shook his home, knocking items off his mantle. 
