QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9ml

Earthquake near Dedham, ME

No earthquake was likely felt in Dedham in the 24 hours to 10:29 pm EST (03:29 UTC). The last one was M 3.8, 237 km (147 mi) SW, at 10:22 am EST on 27 January 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 42,440 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Dedham

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 8 km (5 mi) east of Dedham, ME, at 10:55 pm EDT on 3 September 2021 (02:55 UTC), 5.0 km deep.

USGS: 7 km E of Dedham, Maine

10:55 pm EDT, Sep 3, 2021 · · 5.0 km deep · released about 21 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Hancock County 21 kmWaldo County 50 kmPenobscot County 80 kmKnox County 81 kmWashington County 81 kmKennebec County 100 kmLincoln County 108 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
10:55 pm EDT on 3 September 2021 ()
Where
8 km (5 mi) east of Dedham, ME · earthquakes near Dedham
Magnitude
M 1.9 (ml)
Depth
5.0 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Hancock County, 21 km SE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1821 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 Dedham, 8 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: Holden, Eddington, Orland, Brewer, Ellsworth, Veazie.

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 44.6890, -68.5654. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Hancock County, ME 21 km (13 mi) SE earthquakes near Hancock County
Waldo County, ME 50 km (31 mi) WSW earthquakes near Waldo County
Penobscot County, ME 80 km (50 mi) N earthquakes near Penobscot County
Knox County, ME 81 km (50 mi) SSW earthquakes near Knox County
Washington County, ME 81 km (51 mi) ENE earthquakes near Washington County
Kennebec County, ME 100 km (62 mi) WSW earthquakes near Kennebec County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 15 km S of Lowell, Maine
  2. 1.8 2 km NNW of Ellsworth, Maine
  3. 1.8 4 km SW of Blue Hill, Maine
  4. 1.7 1 km NE of Aurora, Maine
  5. 1.7 2 km SSE of Monroe, Maine
  6. 1.8 1 km NE of Swanville, Maine
  7. 1.5 2 km ESE of Eastbrook, Maine
  8. 1.9 6 km SE of North Penobscot, Maine
  9. 1.6 6 km ESE of Dedham, Maine
  10. 2.0 7 km E of Dedham, Maine
  11. 2.0 7 km ESE of Dedham, Maine
  12. 3.3 7 km ESE of Dedham, Maine
  13. 1.8 7 km E of Dedham, Maine
  14. 1.8 7 km ESE of Dedham, Maine
  15. 1.9 8 km ESE 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.