QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8ml

Earthquake near Millinocket, ME

No earthquake was likely felt in Millinocket in the 24 hours to 5:48 pm EST (22:48 UTC). The last one was M 2.5, 36 km (22 mi) NW, at 8:56 pm EST on 16 February 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 6 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Millinocket

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 19 km (12 mi) southwest of Millinocket, ME, at 9:28 pm EST on 27 January 2023 (02:28 UTC), 2.0 km deep.

USGS: 19 km SW of Millinocket, Maine

9:28 pm EST, Jan 27, 2023 · · 2.0 km deep · released about 15 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Penobscot County 20 kmPiscataquis County 48 kmSomerset County 85 kmHancock County 113 kmWashington County 116 kmWaldo County 118 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
9:28 pm EST on 27 January 2023 ()
Where
19 km (12 mi) southwest of Millinocket, ME · earthquakes near Millinocket
Magnitude
M 1.8 (ml)
Depth
2.0 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Penobscot County, 20 km SE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1311 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 17 km (11 mi) from the epicentre. In Millinocket, 19 km away, the estimate is intensity II (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: East Millinocket, Brownville, Medway.

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 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 45.5220, -68.8614. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Penobscot County, ME 20 km (12 mi) SE earthquakes near Penobscot County
Piscataquis County, ME 48 km (30 mi) NNW earthquakes near Piscataquis County
Somerset County, ME 85 km (53 mi) W earthquakes near Somerset County
Hancock County, ME 113 km (70 mi) SSE earthquakes near Hancock County
Washington County, ME 116 km (72 mi) ESE earthquakes near Washington County
Waldo County, ME 118 km (73 mi) S earthquakes near Waldo County

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. 1.6 12 km NNW of Brownville, Maine
  2. 1.6 7 km S of Sebec, Maine
  3. 1.8 7 km NNE of Burlington, Maine
  4. 2.0 5 km ENE of Dover-Foxcroft, Maine
  5. 2.0 7 km ESE of Dover-Foxcroft, Maine
  6. 1.5 20 km WSW of Millinocket, Maine
  7. 1.5 23 km WNW of Millinocket, Maine
  8. 2.5 35 km NW of Millinocket, Maine
  9. 1.9 3 km SW of Sebec, Maine
  10. 1.6 4 km NNE of Bowerbank, Maine
  11. 1.5 31 km W of Millinocket, Maine
  12. 1.5 24 km WNW of Millinocket, 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.