Mystery Solved – What Caused the Ground to Shake in NJ on Monday

The mystery of what caused the ground to shake in South Jersey on Monday has been solved.

Military aircraft were flying about three miles off the Atlantic Coast, and the U.S. Navy is confirming some of those aircraft were traveling at supersonic speeds.

Sonic booms can be created when an aircraft breaches the sound barrier. That is what likely caused the noise heard from Ocean to Cape May Counties. It could also have caused minor house shaking and window rattling.

Dozens of reports were filed on the website VolcanoDiscovery.com.

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The U.S. Geological Survey did not detect any seismic activity and ruled out an earthquake.

A Navy spokesman told NJ.com the aircraft was flying from Naval Air Station Patuxent River and were "executing supersonic test points." The navy did not identify the aircraft, or give specifics on their mission.

There is a strip of airspace off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, including the Jersey Shore, that is commonly called the "test track." The airspace has been designated for use by military aircraft.

Sonic booms that far out to sea are not typically heard or felt on land, but varying weather conditions can carry the shockwaves longer distances.