Update: Offshore 'earthquake' was likely Navy testing
DAYTONA BEACH — An apparent 3.7 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Florida was likely triggered by a man-made explosion to test the seaworthiness of a new U.S. Navy vessel.
Seismographs detected the earthquake Saturday afternoon about 168 nautical miles northeast of Daytona Beach Shores.
The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports a similar 3.7 magnitude "earthquake" on June 10 off of Ormond-by-the-Sea happened about the same time the Navy reported conducting a shock trial on the USS Jackson for testing. The Navy notified the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service that another shock trial would be conducted between July 16 and July 20.
The Navy's Sea System Command spokesman Dale Eng tells the newspaper the Navy is working on a statement to release this week.