January 3, 2000 Earthquake in Western Maine

Weston Observatory reports that an earthquake occurred at 4:05:50 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Monday, January 3, 2000, in the Turner-Livermore area, Maine. It was widely felt in the Lewiston-Auburn region, including Androscoggin, Oxford, Kennebec, and southern Franklin Counties.

The following parameters have been calculated for the earthquake:

Magnitude	3.4 (calculation after Nuttli, 1973)
Location	44.31 North latitude, 70.17 West longitude
Depth	9.7 kilometers
This places the epicenter about 15 miles (9 kilometers) north of Lewiston, in Leeds, Maine.

Further Information:

A flood of phone calls was received by local police departments, the Androscoggin County emergency management agency, and the Maine Geological Survey.

The event is recorded on the Canadian Seismic Network Hourly plot for 21:00 (UT) on January 3, 2000. (How to read this plot)

A map showing this event was posted as a "News Flash" on the New England Seismic Network web site of MIT. The preliminary location was given as North Turner, about 4 miles west of the final location in Leeds calculated by Weston Observatory.

In a press release from the Maine Geological Survey, State Geologist Robert Marvinney said that the occurrence of two felt earthquakes in Maine over a short time (December 24 and January 3) was somewhat unusual, but did not indicate unusual instability in the earth's crust.

News reports:

"Minor quake rattles region," by Mark LaFlamme, Lewiston Sun Journal, January 4, 2000.

"If you were shaken, don't get stirred," by Michael Gordon, Lewiston Sun Journal, January 5, 2000.

News reports available on-line for a fee:

From the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram archives

"Earthquake strikes near Lewiston; no damage reported." Portland Press Herald, January 4, 2000, page 3B.
"Pair of earthquakes just coincidental: Mainers who felt Monday's quake in Turner are asked to fill out a questionnaire." Portland Press Herald, Wednesday, January 5, 2000, page 2B.

Reference:

Nuttli, Otto W., 1973: "The Mississippi Valley Earthquakes of 1811 and 1812; Intensities, Ground Motion, and Magnitudes," Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, v. 63, No.1, p. 227-248.

Last updated on October 6, 2005