5.8-magnitude earthquake jolts Virginia, USA on August 23, 2011

Just hours after the Colorado earthquake, another temblor struck a US state Tuesday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported.

A map of the August 23, 2011 Virginia Earthquake | Source: USGS

According to its bulletin, the quake measured a Richter Scale reading of magnitude 5.8 (earlier reported to be 5.9) and had an epicenter located 14 km (9 miles) South Southwest of Mineral, Virgina at 17:51:04 UTC at a depth of 6 km (3.7 miles).

The intraplate earthquake reportedly was the strongest in Virginia's recorded history since 1897. It was felt as far away as Ontario, Canada; Michigan; Pennsylvania; Ohio; South Carolina; North Carolina; New York and Massachusetts. Many buildings were evacuated in New York and Philadelphia including the Capitol building and the Pentagon in Washington, DC.

There are also reports that it damaged the Pentagon, Washington National Cathedral and the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

A couple of airports were temporarily closed and two nuclear plants in Virginia were taken offline because of the quake.

There were no reports of casualties.

Earthquake in the Philippines, August 11, 2011: Magnitude 5.4 quake rocks Luzon

A magnitude 5.4 earthquake has struck northern Luzon Thursday morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.

The red dot marks the epicenter of the August 11 quake | Courtesy of Phivolcs

The tectonic quake hit its epicenter, 37 km Southwest of Calayan, Cagayan, at 10:59 a.m. It has a depth of 16 km and was felt at the following intensities in the following areas:



Intensity IV - Calayan, Cagayan

Intensity III - Sanchez Mira, Cagayan

Intensity II - Pasuquin and Laoag, Ilocos Norte



The Philvolcs said it is expecting aftershocks from the temblor.



There have been no initial reports of damage from the quake.