QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.4ml

Earthquake near York Beach, ME

No earthquake was likely felt in York Beach in the 24 hours to 11:41 pm EST (04:41 UTC). The last one was M 2.0, 14 km (9 mi) SE, at 7:57 am EST on 2 February 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 55 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near York Beach

This page: a magnitude 2.4 earthquake was recorded 29 km (18 mi) east-southeast of York Beach, ME, at 11:15 am EDT on 19 March 2021 (15:15 UTC), 10 km deep.

USGS: 29 km ESE of York Beach, Maine

11:15 am EDT, Mar 19, 2021 · · 10 km deep · released about 120 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N York County 50 kmStrafford County 66 kmRockingham County 68 kmEssex County 69 kmCumberland County 81 kmSagadahoc County 99 kmSuffolk County 103 kmBelknap County 105 kmMiddlesex County 113 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
11:15 am EDT on 19 March 2021 ()
Where
29 km (18 mi) east-southeast of York Beach, ME · earthquakes near York Beach
Magnitude
M 2.4 (ml)
Depth
10 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
York County, 50 km NW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 653 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 40 km (25 mi) from the epicentre. In York Beach, 29 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.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 120 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.4 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 130,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 89,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 7.9× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.4 about 120 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 43.0810, -70.2715. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
York County, ME 50 km (31 mi) NW earthquakes near York County
Strafford County, NH 66 km (41 mi) WNW earthquakes near Strafford County
Rockingham County, NH 68 km (42 mi) W earthquakes near Rockingham County
Essex County, MA 69 km (43 mi) SW earthquakes near Essex County
Cumberland County, ME 81 km (50 mi) N earthquakes near Cumberland County
Sagadahoc County, ME 99 km (62 mi) NNE earthquakes near Sagadahoc County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.1 34 km SE of York Beach, Maine
  2. 2.0 13 km SE of York Harbor, Maine
  3. 2.0 10 km SE of York Harbor, Maine
  4. 3.8 9 km SE of York Harbor, Maine
  5. 2.3 54 km E of Rockport, Massachusetts
  6. 1.9 42 km ENE of Rockport, Massachusetts
  7. 2.0 15 km N of Rockport, Massachusetts
  8. 2.4 42 km SE of Old Orchard Beach, Maine
  9. 2.6 38 km SE of Old Orchard Beach, 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.