A strange 4.0 magnitude earthquake shakes the east coast of Florida

A rare earthquake of magnitude 4.0 struck on Wednesday night, approximately 163 kilometers away from Cape Canaveral on the east coast of Florida. The earthquake, recorded by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), occurred at a shallow depth of just over 9 kilometers. It was felt in various locations such as Titusville, Vero Beach, Melbourne, Merritt Island, and Cocoa Beach. Despite being felt by some, the earthquake did not cause any damage or injuries, with only a few reports of weak or light tremors.

The USGS mentioned that the most recent earthquake in Florida occurred on September 3, 2020, with a magnitude of 1.8. However, the area where the recent tremor took place has only experienced one earthquake since 1900, a 3.3 magnitude event in June 2001. The Miami Herald also highlighted that “eight additional incidents of shaking of the seabed” have been recorded since 2000. These incidents, with magnitudes ranging from 3.7 to 3.9, have been attributed to “experimental explosions” rather than natural tectonic activity. Authorities have not reported any experimental explosions in relation to this recent earthquake, and there is no evidence of tectonic plate boundaries in the area.

Coincidentally, in the early hours of Thursday, the PACE mission of NASA and the company SpaceX successfully launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. The mission aims to study the atmosphere and oceans in the coming years.