QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8ml

Earthquake near Moodus, CT

No earthquake was likely felt in Moodus in the 24 hours to 8:05 am EST (13:05 UTC). The last one was M 1.9, 4 km (2 mi) S, at 8:26 am EDT on 15 March 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 32 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Moodus

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 2 km (1 mi) south-southwest of Moodus, CT, at 5:13 pm EST on 18 January 2025 (22:13 UTC), 10 km deep. 8 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 2 km SSW of Moodus, Connecticut

36 km (23 mi) SSE of Hartford, CT · 29 km (18 mi) ESE of Meriden, CT

5:13 pm EST, Jan 18, 2025 · · 10 km deep · released about 15 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Moodus Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region 8 kmSoutheastern Connecticut Planning Region 30 kmCapitol Planning Region 38 kmSouth Central Connecticut Planning Region 38 kmNaugatuck Valley Planning Region 53 kmNortheastern Connecticut Planning Region 57 kmSuffolk County 63 kmWashington County 70 kmGreater Bridgeport Planning Region 71 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
5:13 pm EST on 18 January 2025 ()
Where
2 km (1 mi) south-southwest of Moodus, CT · earthquakes near Moodus
Magnitude
M 1.8 (ml)
Depth
10 km below the surface
Felt
8 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, 8 km SSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 459 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 13 km (8 mi) from the epicentre. In Moodus, 2 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 Haddam, Higganum, Chester Center, East Hampton, Deep River Center, Lake Pocotopaug.

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 41.4856, -72.4576. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, CT 8 km (5 mi) SSW earthquakes near Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region
Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT 30 km (18 mi) E earthquakes near Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region
Capitol Planning Region, CT 38 km (24 mi) NNW earthquakes near Capitol Planning Region
South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT 38 km (24 mi) SW earthquakes near South Central Connecticut Planning Region
Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, CT 53 km (33 mi) W earthquakes near Naugatuck Valley Planning Region
Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT 57 km (35 mi) NE earthquakes near Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 6 km SW of Niantic, Connecticut
  2. 1.5 2 km SSW of Deep River Center, Connecticut
  3. 1.9 2 km NNE of East Haddam, Connecticut
  4. 2.2 1 km S of Moodus, Connecticut
  5. 1.8 2 km W of Conning Towers-Nautilus Park, Connecticut
  6. 1.9 2 km N of East Haddam, Connecticut
  7. 2.0 3 km E of Plainville, Connecticut
  8. 1.8 1 km NNW of Essex Village, Connecticut
  9. 1.5 3 km NNW of Killingworth, Connecticut
  10. 1.6 2 km ENE of Newington, Connecticut

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.