December 27, 2001 Earthquake in Eastern Maine

Weston Observatory reports that a small earthquake occurred at 3:54:27 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Thursday, December 27, 2001 northeast of Bangor in a sparsely populated part of eastern Maine.

The following parameters have been calculated for the earthquake (this is a preliminary determination):

Preliminary magnitude	2.8
Preliminary location	45 deg. 3 min. North latitude, 68 deg. 9 min. West longitude
Depth	22 kilometers
This places the epicenter near the south end of Nicatous Lake in northern Hancock County.

Further Information:

Phase Data Listing of Weston Observatory. This table lists information about the earthquake recorded at seismic stations around the region. It also gives statistics related to calculating the time, location, and magnitude of the earthquake.

Canadian Seismic Network Hourly plot for 20:00 to 21:00 (UT) on December 27, 2001. The earthquake registered on several instruments between 20:50 and 21:00.

The Maine Geological Survey received only two felt reports, from Greenfield and Burlington. This is not surprising given the earthquake's small magnitude and relatively great depth, and also considering the low population density of the region.

Last updated on October 6, 2005