Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist
M 1.8ml
Earthquake near Newport, RI
No earthquake was likely felt in Newport in the 24 hours to 3:05 am EST (08:05 UTC). The last one was M 1.9, 9 km (6 mi) SW, at 11:36 pm EDT on 4 September 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 21 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Newport
This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 4 km (2 mi) southeast of Newport, RI, at 6:46 pm EST on 1 December 2019 (23:46 UTC), 5.0 km deep. 11 people have reported feeling it to USGS.
USGS: 3 km SE of Newport, Rhode Island
100 km (62 mi) SSW of Boston, MA · 29 km (18 mi) SSE of Warwick, RI
- When
- 6:46 pm EST on 1 December 2019 ()
- Where
- 4 km (2 mi) southeast of Newport, RI · earthquakes near Newport
- Magnitude
- M 1.8 (ml)
- Depth
- 5.0 km below the surface
- Felt
- 11 reports · strongest reported intensity III
- Nearest
- Newport County, 4 km N
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2459 days ago
Earthquake alerts for Newport, RI
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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 16 km (10 mi) from the epicentre. In Newport, 4 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: Newport East, Jamestown, Middletown, Melville, Narragansett, Narragansett Pier.
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.
- Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,000,000× the energy of this one
- Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 710,000× the energy of this one
- Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 63× the energy of this one
- 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 41.4659, -71.2851. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby places
| Place | Distance | Direction from the epicentre | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newport County, RI | 4 km (2 mi) | N | earthquakes near Newport County |
| Bristol County, RI | 27 km (17 mi) | N | earthquakes near Bristol County |
| Washington County, RI | 29 km (18 mi) | WSW | earthquakes near Washington County |
| Kent County, RI | 34 km (21 mi) | NW | earthquakes near Kent County |
| Bristol County, MA | 35 km (22 mi) | NNE | earthquakes near Bristol County |
| Dukes County, MA | 50 km (31 mi) | E | earthquakes near Dukes County |
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.
- 1.8 3 km ESE of Acushnet, Massachusetts
- 1.9 4 km ESE of Narragansett, Rhode Island
- 1.6 4 km S of Bristol, Rhode Island
- 2.0 18 km NE of New Shoreham, Rhode Island
- 2.2 18 km SSE of Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island
- 2.1 18 km NE of New Shoreham, Rhode Island
- 2.0 southern New England
- 2.0 9 km SSW of Bliss Corner, Massachusetts
- 3.6 10 km S of Bliss Corner, Massachusetts
- 1.9 6 km WSW of Exeter, Rhode Island
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
- The official USGS event page — the source of record for every value above
- Did you feel it? Report it to USGS — reports go to USGS, not to us
- ShakeMap for this event, when USGS has produced one
QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.