QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.6ml

Earthquake near Adams Center, NY

No earthquake was likely felt in Adams Center in the 24 hours to 5:44 am EST (10:44 UTC). The last one was M 4.0, 215 km (133 mi) N, at 12:36 pm EDT on 14 April 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 215 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Adams Center

This page: a magnitude 1.6 earthquake was recorded 3 km (2 mi) east of Adams Center, NY, at 10:57 am EDT on 19 May 2023 (14:57 UTC), 5.0 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 2 km WNW of Rodman, New York

92 km (57 mi) N of Syracuse, NY

10:57 am EDT, May 19, 2023 · · 5.0 km deep · released about 7.6 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Jefferson County 17 kmLewis County 43 kmOswego County 48 kmOneida County 81 kmHerkimer County 96 kmOnondaga County 97 kmSt. Lawrence County 100 kmCayuga County 107 kmMadison County 109 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
10:57 am EDT on 19 May 2023 ()
Where
3 km (2 mi) east of Adams Center, NY · earthquakes near Adams Center
New York today
every earthquake in New York in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 1.6 (ml)
Depth
5.0 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Jefferson County, 17 km NNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1208 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 6 km (4 mi) from the epicentre. In Adams Center, 3 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: Adams, Watertown, Sackets Harbor, Brownville, Dexter, Calcium.

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.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 2,000,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,400,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 130× the energy of this one
  4. 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

Epicentre 43.8606, -75.9683. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Jefferson County, NY 17 km (10 mi) NNW earthquakes near Jefferson County
Lewis County, NY 43 km (27 mi) ESE earthquakes near Lewis County
Oswego County, NY 48 km (30 mi) SSW earthquakes near Oswego County
Oneida County, NY 81 km (50 mi) SSE earthquakes near Oneida County
Herkimer County, NY 96 km (60 mi) ESE earthquakes near Herkimer County
Onondaga County, NY 97 km (60 mi) S earthquakes near Onondaga County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.5 6 km SE of Lowville, New York
  2. 2.8 28 km WSW of Henderson, New York
  3. 1.6 1 km WSW of Adams Center, New York
  4. 1.5 1 km SW of Adams Center, New York
  5. 3.3 14 km W of Ellisburg, New York

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.