Ever experience an earthquake?

[Sonic Whammy]

So this was crazy tonight. Here in Jersey a few hours ago, there was a 3.0 earthquake a couple towns away. For me, this was the second time I've ever felt an earthquake, there was one about the same magnitude about a year ago.

But this one tonight was different. This didn't come off as your standard "everything starts shaking for a few seconds" type of quake. This one just started with a sudden THUD as if someone dropped a bomb or a giant fell over or something, followed by 2 or 3 seconds of shaking. That was just freaky.

Has anyone here ever been through an earthquake before, and has it ever felt like tonight's did?

[efaardvark]

I live in southern California so yeah, I've been thru a few.    We just had a good clunker a few days ago in fact.

Your description probably means you were pretty close to the epicenter of the quake and/or that it was closer to the surface.  A lot depends on the type of ground between you and the quake.  Rocky ground will transmit the sharper sounds and motions for longer distances than soils or gavels.  But in general the closer you are the "clunkier" they feel.  As you get more distance between you and the center the "smoother" things feel.  If you're close then the motions will be sharper, the shaking more like a rattle, and the sounds more like pounding or grinding.  You're literally hearing mountain-sized chunks of rock crashing into each other.  As you get further away the sharpness and rattling smooth out into a more rolling or rocking feel and the sounds from the ground itself will mostly go away.  If you hear anything it will more likely be local sounds of the house creaking or things falling over or off a shelf somewhere nearby.

Edited August 3, 2025 by efaardvark

[LabMemberX]

I had experienced one while I was still living in the other side of the world but it was slight.

A little bit of shaking.  

 

[Sakura Dragon]

Yes, I have but only one. Earthquakes are basically unheard of where I live but a small one hit sometime in 2007(?) I remember it hit in the middle of the night and I was the only one who felt it. I told my parents about it in the morning but they didn’t believe me. However, that changed when the news reported it. Thankfully, there was no damage anywhere from it.

[Sonic Whammy]

On 8/3/2025 at 9:26 PM, Sakura Dragon said:

Yes, I have but only one. Earthquakes are basically unheard of where I live but a small one hit sometime in 2007(?)

Yeah, admittedly, Jersey is really not known for earthquakes or tornadoes, either. So the idea that a small quake came around here last year and this year, that starts making things a little antsy.

[Moxie]

I've experienced a few earthquakes before, and honestly, it's a weird and unsettling feeling. One moment everything's normal, and then out of nowhere, the whole place just starts shaking.

[Sakura Dragon]

On 8/5/2025 at 12:33 PM, Sonic Whammy said:

Yeah, admittedly, Jersey is really not known for earthquakes or tornadoes, either. So the idea that a small quake came around here last year and this year, that starts making things a little antsy.

If earthquakes became a regular occurrence by me, my conspiracy theory brain would come up with all sorts of ridiculous explanations.

[efaardvark]

6 hours ago, Sakura Dragon said:

If earthquakes became a regular occurrence by me, my conspiracy theory brain would come up with all sorts of ridiculous explanations.

It's just the opposite around here.  If the earthquakes stop then everybody starts getting really nervous and the tinfoil hat crowd starts in with the "repent, the end is near!" stuff.   

Earthquakes release stress on the faults.  If they stop then the stress just keeps building until something big breaks and all of that stress gets released at once.  It's better to have a lot of little quakes over a period of time than a lot of quiet time between big quakes.

[Clayton]

I'm from southern California. So yes. 

 

 

[Zeref]

I've been in a small one before that shook for a few seconds but didn't even realize that was an earthquake. It wasn't a big one or one that caused any damage to anything. 

[animechat]

I am happy living in a place where there are no close earthquakes.

On 11/29/2025 at 9:24 PM, Zeref said:

I've been in a small one before that shook for a few seconds but didn't even realize that was an earthquake. It wasn't a big one or one that caused any damage to anything. 

Same little bit of ground shaking?

[Sonic Whammy]

On 1/12/2026 at 7:22 PM, animechat said:

I am happy living in a place where there are no close earthquakes.

Yeah, that's an interesting side question: Most of the times I hear of earthquakes in the world, it's U.S./California, India/Southeast Asia, Japan. But Europe, my mind isn't recalling any. Is there a major hotspot for quakes on that continent?

[Ayame]

As a California native, yes, they were pretty common. There are a lot of smaller ones where I'm from or some that only last a few seconds and you go on about your day. I haven't experienced one in Chicago ever yet, which is where I'm at for school. 

[Jellal]

We have them here but most aren't felt by people. I only remember feeling one once in my life and didn't really know what it was or what was happening until later. 

[Samsara]

Not that i'm aware off. 

[Zariel]

I don't think we have those were I live at.

[BoilerJacob]

There was one when I was a kid, but I slept through it. (Literally!)

[Eris]

I've been in one before when I was younger but it wasn't a big one just little shaking, no big deal. 

[Moxie]

Yes, have experienced in Myanmar.