Earthquake shakes parts of New York state

NEW YORK - A 2.1-magnitude earthquake struck parts of Upstate New York on Tuesday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey. 

The earthquake hit around 10:23 a.m. in the Adirondack Mountains, with the epicenter located around seven miles from Elizabethtown, the USGS said.

The latest quake adds to what's been a busy start to the year with these seismic events.

Earthquake in New Jersey

Back on April 5, a 4.8-magnitude earthquake shook NYC and the Tri-State area.

The USGS reported a quake at 10:23 a.m. with a preliminary magnitude of 4.8 centered near Whitehouse Station in Hunterdon County. About an hour later, a 2.0-magnitude quake was reported in nearby Bedminster.

Then, just before 6 p.m., a magnitude 4.0 aftershock hit the region, with the epicenter near Gladstone. Dozens of aftershocks have been reported since the earthquake.

Earthquakes are less common on the eastern than on the western edges of the U.S. because the East Coast does not lie on a boundary of tectonic plates. 

But 13 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or stronger have been recorded since 1950 within 311 miles of the tremblor, the USGS said. The strongest was a 5.8-magnitude quake in Mineral, Virginia, on Aug. 23, 2011, that jolted people from Georgia to Canada. 

What is an aftershock? 

Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes that occur in the same general area during the hours, days and years following a larger quake, or the "mainshock," according to the USGS. 

Aftershocks usually mean that the ground is readjusting itself following the main earthquake. 

The Associated Press, as well as the FOX Digital Team, contributed to this report.