Reported earthquake off coast of Flagler Beach caused by Navy test

The Navy has confirmed it is responsible for an explosion that registered as a 3.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Flagler Beach on Sunday.

A Navy spokesperson said the reported earthquake was a result of hull testing on a littoral combat stationed at Naval Station Mayport.

Sunday's explosion was slightly larger than a similar test Action News Jax reported in July.

The explosion off the shore of Flagler Beach was the first of three shock trials on USS Milwaukee.

The hull tests involve exploding a 10,000 pound bomb in the water near the ship.

The Navy said the purpose of the tests are to validate the operational survivability of new ships after exposure to underwater shock.

Three tests are scheduled for the ship over a period of several weeks.

Exact dates for each shot are dependent on sea state, weather, marine mammal activity and several other factors, according to the Navy.

Cox Media Group