QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9ml

Earthquake near Tremont, ME

No earthquake was likely felt in Tremont in the 24 hours to 7:21 am EST (12:21 UTC). The last one was M 1.8, 12 km (8 mi) W, at 1:52 pm EDT on 28 August 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near Tremont

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 4 km (3 mi) west of Tremont, ME, at 12:33 am EDT on 22 May 2021 (04:33 UTC), 5.0 km deep. 19 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 4 km W of Tremont, Maine

12:33 am EDT, May 22, 2021 · · 5.0 km deep · released about 21 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Hancock County 34 kmKnox County 56 kmWaldo County 62 kmLincoln County 93 kmWashington County 101 kmKennebec County 110 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
12:33 am EDT on 22 May 2021 ()
Where
4 km (3 mi) west of Tremont, ME · earthquakes near Tremont
Magnitude
M 1.9 (ml)
Depth
5.0 km below the surface
Felt
19 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Hancock County, 34 km N
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1734 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 20 km (12 mi) from the epicentre. In Tremont, 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: Sedgwick, Trenton, Bar Harbor, Deer Isle, Stonington, Surry.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 21 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 710,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 500,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 45× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 21 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 44.2583, -68.4029. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Hancock County, ME 34 km (21 mi) N earthquakes near Hancock County
Knox County, ME 56 km (35 mi) WSW earthquakes near Knox County
Waldo County, ME 62 km (38 mi) WNW earthquakes near Waldo County
Lincoln County, ME 93 km (58 mi) WSW earthquakes near Lincoln County
Washington County, ME 101 km (63 mi) NE earthquakes near Washington County
Kennebec County, ME 110 km (68 mi) W earthquakes near Kennebec County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.8 2 km NNW of Ellsworth, Maine
  2. 1.5 4 km WNW of Milbridge, Maine
  3. 1.8 6 km ESE of Brooklin, Maine
  4. 2.5 4 km SW of Vinalhaven, Maine
  5. 1.8 4 km SW of Blue Hill, Maine
  6. 1.5 2 km ESE of Eastbrook, Maine
  7. 1.9 6 km SE of North Penobscot, Maine
  8. 1.6 6 km ESE of Dedham, Maine
  9. 2.0 7 km E of Dedham, Maine
  10. 2.0 7 km ESE of Dedham, Maine
  11. 3.3 7 km ESE of Dedham, Maine
  12. 1.8 7 km ESE of Dedham, Maine
  13. 1.9 8 km ESE of Dedham, Maine
  14. 1.9 4 km WNW of Steuben, Maine
  15. 1.9 7 km E of Dedham, 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.