QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.9mb_lg

Earthquake near Gorham, NH

No earthquake was likely felt in Gorham in the 24 hours to 1:29 am EST (06:29 UTC). The last one was M 3.8, 155 km (96 mi) SSE, at 10:22 am EST on 27 January 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 42,440 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Gorham

This page: a magnitude 2.9 earthquake was recorded in Gorham, NH, at 12:39 am EST on 4 February 2022 (05:39 UTC), 8.3 km deep. 131 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 0 km SSW of Gorham, New Hampshire

12:39 am EST, Feb 4, 2022 · · 8.3 km deep · released about 680 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Coos County 31 kmOxford County 37 kmCarroll County 58 kmEssex County 58 kmGrafton County 74 kmCaledonia County 75 kmAndroscoggin County 81 kmFranklin County 89 kmCumberland County 93 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
12:39 am EST on 4 February 2022 ()
Where
in Gorham, NH · earthquakes near Gorham
Magnitude
M 2.9 (mb_lg)
Depth
8.3 km below the surface
Felt
131 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Coos County, 31 km NNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1204 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 67 km (42 mi) from the epicentre. 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: Berlin, Milan, Jefferson.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 680 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 22,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 16,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 1.4× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.9 about 680 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 44.3858, -71.1750. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Coos County, NH 31 km (19 mi) NNW earthquakes near Coos County
Oxford County, ME 37 km (23 mi) ENE earthquakes near Oxford County
Carroll County, NH 58 km (36 mi) S earthquakes near Carroll County
Essex County, VT 58 km (36 mi) NW earthquakes near Essex County
Grafton County, NH 74 km (46 mi) SW earthquakes near Grafton County
Caledonia County, VT 75 km (47 mi) W earthquakes near Caledonia County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 2 km NW of Hanover, Maine
  2. 2.1 6 km N of Upton, Maine
  3. 2.4 Maine
  4. 2.0 7 km WSW of Maidstone, Vermont
  5. 1.9 0 km NNE of Gorham, New Hampshire

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.