QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8ml

Earthquake near Portland, ME

No earthquake was likely felt in Portland in the 24 hours to 2:01 am EST (07:01 UTC). The last one was M 3.8, 70 km (44 mi) SSW, at 10:22 am EST on 27 January 2025, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 42,440 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Portland

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 25 km (15 mi) north-northwest of Portland, ME, at 5:11 pm EST on 14 December 2025 (22:11 UTC), 9.3 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 2 km SW of Gray, Maine

29 km (18 mi) NNW of Portland, ME · 132 km (82 mi) NE of Manchester, NH

5:11 pm EST, Dec 14, 2025 · · 9.3 km deep · released about 15 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Cumberland County 7 kmAndroscoggin County 35 kmSagadahoc County 41 kmYork County 55 kmCarroll County 68 kmLincoln County 69 kmOxford County 76 kmKennebec County 77 kmStrafford County 84 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
5:11 pm EST on 14 December 2025 ()
Where
25 km (15 mi) north-northwest of Portland, ME · earthquakes near Portland
Magnitude
M 1.8 (ml)
Depth
9.3 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Cumberland County, 7 km SSE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 246 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 14 km (9 mi) from the epicentre. In Portland, 25 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: North Windham, Raymond, Cumberland Center, New Gloucester, Yarmouth, South Windham.

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 43.8676, -70.3566. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Cumberland County, ME 7 km (4 mi) SSE earthquakes near Cumberland County
Androscoggin County, ME 35 km (22 mi) NNE earthquakes near Androscoggin County
Sagadahoc County, ME 41 km (26 mi) E earthquakes near Sagadahoc County
York County, ME 55 km (34 mi) SSW earthquakes near York County
Carroll County, NH 68 km (42 mi) W earthquakes near Carroll County
Lincoln County, ME 69 km (43 mi) ENE earthquakes near Lincoln County

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

Aftershocks so far

1 earthquake has been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 1.6 5 km SSE of Monmouth, 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.