Earthquake near Lincoln, ME

USGS: 18 km WNW of Grand Lake Stream, Maine

11:52 pm EDT, Nov 3, 2016 · 2016-11-04 03:52 UTC · 1.6 km deep · released about 7.6 lb of TNT

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Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction and later quakes as coloured dots. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.

When: 11:52 pm EDT on 3 November 2016 (2016-11-04 03:52 UTC)
Where: 43 km (27 mi) ESE of Lincoln, ME · earthquakes near Lincoln
Magnitude: M 1.6 (ml)
Depth: 1.6 km below the surface
Felt: no reports yet
Nearest: Washington County, 43 km SE
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS 3530 days ago · we first saw it 3530 days ago

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake was recorded 43 km (27 mi) ESE of Lincoln, ME, at 11:52 pm EDT on 3 November 2016 (03:52 UTC). This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 7.6 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 2,000,000× the energy of this one
Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,400,000× the energy of this one
Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 130× the energy of this one
This earthquake M 1.6 about 7.6 lb of TNT

Energy from the Gutenberg–Richter relation (log₁₀E = 1.5M + 4.8), rounded to two figures; bar length is magnitude, which is already a logarithm of energy. Magnitudes of past earthquakes from the USGS catalogue.

For this area

No earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded within 50 km since our catalogue begins in 2016.

Before 2016, the USGS record since 1900 lists no earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km.

Since 2016: the QuakeIndex catalogue (US, M1.5+), built from the USGS FDSN event service. Before 2016: USGS ComCat, M5+ from 1900. Distances are between epicentres. This is the record, not a forecast.

Where

Map loads when it scrolls into view

Epicentre 45.2442, -67.9857. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

Place	Distance	Direction from the epicentre
Washington County, ME	43 km (27 mi)	SE	earthquakes near Washington County
Penobscot County, ME	56 km (35 mi)	WNW	earthquakes near Penobscot County
Hancock County, ME	81 km (51 mi)	SSW	earthquakes near Hancock County
Piscataquis County, ME	115 km (71 mi)	NW	earthquakes near Piscataquis County
Waldo County, ME	124 km (77 mi)	SW	earthquakes near Waldo County

Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.

Aftershocks so far

13 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

1.6 15 km S of Lowell, Maine 07:35 UTC
1.8 7 km NNE of Burlington, Maine 13:48 UTC
1.7 9 km NW of Grand Lake Stream, Maine 03:16 UTC
1.7 1 km NE of Aurora, Maine 02:35 UTC
1.6 Maine 00:28 UTC
1.8 11 km NE of Deblois, Maine 04:01 UTC
1.5 15 km NNE of Beddington, Maine 03:43 UTC
1.8 16 km NNE of Beddington, Maine 14:18 UTC
1.8 4 km WNW of Beddington, Maine 10:30 UTC
1.8 4 km E of Great Pond, Maine 10:52 UTC
2.0 12 km NW of Grand Lake Stream, Maine 16:17 UTC
2.6 18 km WNW of Grand Lake Stream, Maine 01:50 UTC
1.5 6 km W of Meddybemps, Maine 06:48 UTC

Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of 02:18 UTC. QuakeIndex does not forecast aftershocks. When USGS issues an operational aftershock forecast it appears on the USGS event page.

On USGS

The official USGS event page — the source of record for every value above
Did you feel it? Report it to USGS — reports go to USGS, not to us
ShakeMap for this event, when USGS has produced one

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.