QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8ml

Earthquake near Addison, ME

USGS: 4 km WNW of Jonesboro, Maine

1:19 am EST, Jan 27, 2021 · · 5.0 km deep · released about 15 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Addison Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Washington County 32 kmHancock County 60 kmPenobscot County 115 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
1:19 am EST on 27 January 2021 ()
Where
12 km (7 mi) NE of Addison, ME · earthquakes near Addison
Magnitude
M 1.8 (ml)
Depth
5.0 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity I
Nearest
Washington County, 32 km N
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1998 days ago

A magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 12 km (7 mi) NE of Addison, ME, at 1:19 am EST on 27 January 2021 (06:19 UTC). 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS. This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Machias, Jonesport, Machiasport, East Machias, Cherryfield, Milbridge.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 15 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,000,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 710,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 63× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.8 about 15 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 lists one earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.7 Passamaquoddy Bay area, Maine · 49 km NE of this epicentre

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 44.6798, -67.6255. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Washington County, ME 32 km (20 mi) N earthquakes near Washington County
Hancock County, ME 60 km (37 mi) WSW earthquakes near Hancock County
Penobscot County, ME 115 km (72 mi) NW earthquakes near Penobscot County
Waldo County, ME 120 km (75 mi) W earthquakes near Waldo County
Knox County, ME 133 km (83 mi) WSW earthquakes near Knox County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.5 4 km WNW of Milbridge, Maine
  2. 1.6 4 km ENE of Centerville, Maine
  3. 1.6 Maine
  4. 1.9 4 km WNW of Steuben, Maine
  5. 1.6 4 km WNW of Jonesboro, Maine
  6. 1.9 5 km E of Centerville, Maine
  7. 2.6 4 km SE of Centerville, Maine
  8. 2.0 4 km WNW of Jonesboro, Maine
  9. 2.0 4 km WNW of Jonesboro, Maine
  10. 3.0 3 km SE of Centerville, Maine
  11. 1.7 3 km E of Centerville, Maine
  12. 2.6 4.7 km WNW of Jonesboro, Maine
  13. 1.8 3 km E of Centerville, Maine
  14. 1.6 Maine
  15. 2.8 4 km E of Centerville, Maine

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.