QUECHEE — The boom and shake felt across the Upper Valley just before 1 on Friday afternoon was a minor, 2.2-magnitude earthquake near Quechee, the United States Geological Survey confirmed.
About 100 people notified USGS that they felt something like an earthquake and described it as “light” or “weak.”
Many people reported a loud bang that shocked them and described it as an explosion. The earthquake occurred about 4.3 kilometers below the surface. USGS advises that relatively shallow earthquakes often make a bang.
The Northeast United States is one of the most seismically active areas east of the Rocky Mountains, and has a long history of earthquakes going back to colonial times, according to USGS.
Claire Potter is a Report for America corps member. She can be reached at cpotter@vnews.com or 603-727-3242.