While earthquakes are relatively uncommon in the Northeast, the events highlight the region's ongoing seismic activity.

A small earthquake centered in northern New Jersey on Tuesday rattled the New York City metropolitan area, officials said. The U.S. Geological Survey said the tremor that hit just after noon was centered in Hillsdale, New Jersey, and measured a magnitude 2.7 on the Richter scale.

A second small earthquake within three days rattled the New York metropolitan area on Tuesday. The 2.7 magnitude earthquake struck a little after noon near suburban Hillsdale, New Jersey, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) northwest of the Bronx in New York City,