Earthquake Rattles Richmond, VA As Residents Report 'Big Boom'

Some residents of the Old Dominion had a strange surprise yesterday evening, with reports of their homes shaking around them.

A 2.8 magnitude earthquake occurred at about 5:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), with the epicenter of the quake situated just to the northwest of Richmond, Virginia.

Which areas have been affected by the earthquake?

"Light" shaking 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 away from the epicenter, with "weak" shaking as far away as Providence, Rhode Island.

Stock image of a seismograph machine during an earthquake (main) and United States Geological Survey map of where the 2.8 magnitude quake was felt around Virginia. Some shaking was felt as far away as Rhode... ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS / USGS

Several other "weak" tremors were reported in Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania, the USGS reports.

Many residents flocked to social media to report the quake, responding to a question from local news CBS 6 regarding shaking.

"Entire house shook!!" one person commented on Facebook, as reported by CBS 6.

"Big boom and the whole house shook. The foundation shook really hard," another said.

What magnitude was the earthquake?

The earthquake was a 2.8 magnitude, with earthquakes between 2.0 and 3.9 in magnitude being considered minor earthquakes that rarely cause damage.

Earthquake magnitudes are measured on a logarithmic scale, meaning each whole number increase represents a tenfold increase in power of the seismic waves, resulting in approximately 31.6 times more energy released.

Even though the region is not near an active tectonic plate boundary like those found 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, resulting in minor to moderate earthquakes.

"The Central Virginia seismic zone is far from the nearest plate boundaries, which are in the center of the Atlantic Ocean and in the Caribbean Sea. The seismic zone is laced with known faults but numerous smaller or deeply buried faults remain undetected," the USGS said.

When was the last earthquake in Richmond?

Richmond sees semi-frequent mild earthquakes like this one, typically with magnitudes less than 3.0.

"Since at least 1774, people in central Virginia have felt small earthquakes and suffered damage from infrequent larger ones," the USGS explains. "Smaller earthquakes that cause little or no damage are felt each year or two."

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

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

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