QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9ml

Earthquake near Madison, ME

No earthquake was likely felt in Madison in the 24 hours to 1:12 pm EST (18:12 UTC). The last one was M 1.9, 10 km (6 mi) N, at 11:36 am EST on 21 February 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near Madison

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 10 km (6 mi) north of Madison, ME, at 11:36 am EST on 21 February 2025 (16:36 UTC), 10 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 3 km SSW of Embden, Maine

11:36 am EST, Feb 21, 2025 · · 10 km deep · released about 21 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Franklin County 43 kmKennebec County 53 kmSomerset County 69 kmWaldo County 76 kmOxford County 80 kmAndroscoggin County 84 kmLincoln County 103 kmSagadahoc County 108 kmPenobscot County 112 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
11:36 am EST on 21 February 2025 ()
Where
10 km (6 mi) north of Madison, ME · earthquakes near Madison
Magnitude
M 1.9 (ml)
Depth
10 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Franklin County, 43 km WNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 555 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 18 km (11 mi) from the epicentre. In Madison, 10 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: Cornville, Skowhegan, Norridgewock, Kingfield, Strong, Canaan.

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 44.8860, -69.8879. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Franklin County, ME 43 km (27 mi) WNW earthquakes near Franklin County
Kennebec County, ME 53 km (33 mi) S earthquakes near Kennebec County
Somerset County, ME 69 km (43 mi) N earthquakes near Somerset County
Waldo County, ME 76 km (47 mi) SE earthquakes near Waldo County
Oxford County, ME 80 km (50 mi) WSW earthquakes near Oxford County
Androscoggin County, ME 84 km (52 mi) SSW earthquakes near Androscoggin County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 3 km SE of Madison, Maine
  2. 1.5 7 km ESE of Cambridge, Maine
  3. 1.6 6 km W of Oakland, 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.