QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3ml

Earthquake near New Shoreham, RI

No earthquake was likely felt in New Shoreham in the 24 hours to 2:14 am EST (07:14 UTC). The last one was M 3.8, 226 km (140 mi) NNE, at 10:22 am EST on 27 January 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 42,440 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near New Shoreham

This page: a magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 9 km (5 mi) west-northwest of New Shoreham, RI, at 4:17 am EST on 1 March 2019 (09:17 UTC), 7.2 km deep.

USGS: 8 km WNW of New Shoreham, Rhode Island

4:17 am EST, Mar 1, 2019 · · 7.2 km deep · released about 85 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near New Shoreham Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Washington County 23 kmNewport County 46 kmSoutheastern Connecticut Planning Region 49 kmKent County 54 kmBristol County 65 kmLower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region 74 kmProvidence County 76 kmNortheastern Connecticut Planning Region 77 kmBristol County 78 km
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
4:17 am EST on 1 March 2019 ()
Where
9 km (5 mi) west-northwest of New Shoreham, RI · earthquakes near New Shoreham
Magnitude
M 2.3 (ml)
Depth
7.2 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Washington County, 23 km N
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2195 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 36 km (22 mi) from the epicentre. In New Shoreham, 9 km away, the estimate is intensity III (weak). Estimated from magnitude, depth and distance with the intensity equation USGS Did You Feel It? uses; felt reports, where there are any, are the measurement.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Charlestown, Bradford, Westerly, Pawcatuck, Ashaway.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 85 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.3 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 180,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 130,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 11× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 85 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

Epicentre 41.1930, -71.6575. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Washington County, RI 23 km (14 mi) N earthquakes near Washington County
Newport County, RI 46 km (29 mi) NE earthquakes near Newport County
Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT 49 km (31 mi) NW earthquakes near Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region
Kent County, RI 54 km (34 mi) N earthquakes near Kent County
Bristol County, RI 65 km (40 mi) NNE earthquakes near Bristol County
Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, CT 74 km (46 mi) WNW earthquakes near Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.8 2 km W of Conning Towers-Nautilus Park, Connecticut
  2. 1.9 4 km ESE of Narragansett, Rhode Island
  3. 1.8 2 km ESE of Ledyard, Connecticut
  4. 1.6 0 km SSW of Old Mystic, Connecticut
  5. 2.0 1 km S of Old Mystic, Connecticut
  6. 2.0 18 km NE of New Shoreham, Rhode Island
  7. 2.2 18 km SSE of Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island
  8. 2.1 18 km NE of New Shoreham, Rhode Island
  9. 2.0 southern New England
  10. 2.3 43 km SSE of New Shoreham, Rhode Island
  11. 1.9 6 km WSW of Exeter, Rhode Island
  12. 1.8 3 km SE of Newport, Rhode Island

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

On USGS

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