QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9ml

Earthquake near Ellsworth, ME

USGS: 6 km SSW of Deblois, Maine

9:12 pm EDT, Mar 23, 2022 · · 5.0 km deep · released about 21 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Ellsworth Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Hancock County 28 kmWashington County 47 kmWaldo County 87 kmPenobscot County 94 kmKnox County 106 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
9:12 pm EDT on 23 March 2022 ()
Where
33 km (20 mi) ENE of Ellsworth, ME · earthquakes near Ellsworth
Magnitude
M 1.9 (ml)
Depth
5.0 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Hancock County, 28 km WSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1588 days ago

A magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 33 km (20 mi) ENE of Ellsworth, ME, at 9:12 pm EDT on 23 March 2022 (01:12 UTC). This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Cherryfield, Franklin, Steuben, Sullivan, Milbridge, Gouldsboro.

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 44.6870, -68.0569. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Hancock County, ME 28 km (18 mi) WSW earthquakes near Hancock County
Washington County, ME 47 km (29 mi) NE earthquakes near Washington County
Waldo County, ME 87 km (54 mi) WSW earthquakes near Waldo County
Penobscot County, ME 94 km (58 mi) NNW earthquakes near Penobscot County
Knox County, ME 106 km (66 mi) SW earthquakes near Knox County
Lincoln County, ME 139 km (86 mi) WSW earthquakes near Lincoln County

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

Aftershocks so far

30 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. 1.7 1 km NE of Aurora, Maine
  4. 1.6 4 km ENE of Centerville, Maine
  5. 1.5 2 km ESE of Eastbrook, Maine
  6. 1.6 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 E of Dedham, Maine
  13. 1.8 7 km ESE of Dedham, Maine
  14. 1.9 8 km ESE of Dedham, Maine
  15. 1.9 4 km WNW of Steuben, 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.