The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 3.6 Earthquake at a depth of 10 km off the south coast of Massachesetts, at about 9.10 am local time (about 2.10 pm GMT) on Sunday 8 November 2020. Events of this size are not usually dangerous, but are unusual in the eastern US, and people have reported feeling it across much of the northeasten United States and eastern Canada.
Earthquakes in New England are rare, which makes it hard to asses their precise origins, though most are thought to be associated with tectonic stresses in the Appalachian Mountains. The region is cross-cut from north-to-south by a number of ancient faults associated with the formation and breakup of the ancient supercontinent of Pangea, between 300 and 200 million years ago, though no sign of modern movement on these faults has been discovered.
Witness accounts of quakes can help geologists to understand these events and the rock structures that cause them. If you felt this quake you can report it to the USGS here.
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