A minor earthquake rattled Island residents just after 9 a.m. Sunday. The National Earthquake Center initially reported a 4.0 magnitude, but later downgraded it to 3.6.

The quake was centered near Dartmouth, on the shore of the border between Massachusetts and Rhode Island, said Don Blakeman, a geophysicist with the National Earthquake Center. The center listed the location as 11 kilometers south of Bliss Corner.

Mr. Blakeman said the magnitude of the earthquake was unusual for New England.

“They are fairly uncommon,” he said. “We oftentimes have small quakes of 2 or 2.5, very much smaller than this in New England. The size of this quake is less common.”

The earthquake was recorded at 9:10 a.m. By 10 a.m., more than 1,300 people had reported feeling the effects of the quake, from throughout eastern Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, he said. He said he was unaware of any damage.

“Just based on history. I would expect the most here to be pictures falling off the shelf, something like that, “ Mr. Blakeman said. “It would be very unlikely for there to be any injuries.

He said the quake was “far, far, far too small” to generate any wave activity, and said there was no way to predict whether there might be aftershocks.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a couple,” he said.

New England experiences moderately damaging earthquakes every few decades, according to the earthquake center’s website, and smaller earthquakes are felt roughly twice a year.

The largest known New England earthquake occurred in 1638, with an estimated  magnitude of 6.5, in an area of Vermont or New Hampshire, according to the center. A Cape Ann earthquake in 1755 had an estimated magnitude of 5.8 and caused severe damage to the Boston waterfront.

The most recent New England earthquake to cause moderate damage occurred in 1940  in central New Hampshire and had a magnitude of 5.6.

The National Earthquake Center, based in Golden, Col., is part of the U.S. Geological Survey.

Updated with revised information from the National Earthquake Center.