QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.6ml

Earthquake near Buckfield, ME

No earthquake was likely felt in Buckfield in the 24 hours to 2:21 am EST (07:21 UTC). The last one was M 1.7, 9 km (6 mi) ENE, at 1:16 am EDT on 21 May 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 3 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Buckfield

This page: a magnitude 1.6 earthquake was recorded 6 km (4 mi) east-northeast of Buckfield, ME, at 1:04 am EST on 6 November 2024 (06:04 UTC), 5.0 km deep.

USGS: 6 km ENE of Buckfield, Maine

1:04 am EST, Nov 6, 2024 · · 5.0 km deep · released about 7.6 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Androscoggin County 18 kmOxford County 40 kmKennebec County 43 kmCumberland County 56 kmSagadahoc County 57 kmLincoln County 72 kmFranklin County 74 kmCoos County 88 kmCarroll County 88 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
1:04 am EST on 6 November 2024 ()
Where
6 km (4 mi) east-northeast of Buckfield, ME · earthquakes near Buckfield
Magnitude
M 1.6 (ml)
Depth
5.0 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Androscoggin County, 18 km SSE
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 6 km (4 mi) from the epicentre. In Buckfield, 6 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: Turner, Hartford, Livermore, Leeds, Canton, Hebron.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 7.6 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 2,000,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,400,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 130× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.6 about 7.6 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 44.3145, -70.2932. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Androscoggin County, ME 18 km (11 mi) SSE earthquakes near Androscoggin County
Oxford County, ME 40 km (25 mi) WNW earthquakes near Oxford County
Kennebec County, ME 43 km (27 mi) ENE earthquakes near Kennebec County
Cumberland County, ME 56 km (35 mi) S earthquakes near Cumberland County
Sagadahoc County, ME 57 km (35 mi) SE earthquakes near Sagadahoc County
Lincoln County, ME 72 km (45 mi) ESE earthquakes near Lincoln County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 5 km SSE of Monmouth, Maine
  2. 1.8 2 km SW of Gray, Maine
  3. 1.6 2 km NW of Hanover, Maine
  4. 1.7 6 km S of Livermore, Maine
  5. 1.6 6 km W of Oakland, Maine
  6. 1.8 6 km SSE of Turner, Maine
  7. 1.7 6 km SSW of Livermore, 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.