Yesterday, two rare earthquakes were felt in Maine.
A few hours later, 3 other quakes hit within the New Madrid Seismic Zone.
The New Madrid Fault is one of the most dangerous earthquake zone in the U.S. and is best known for its massive jolts in 1811-1812.
In comparison, there are no known geologically active fault zones in Maine. So when a quake hit, it’s quite a sensation!
Yesterday, both zones recorded minor but shallow tremors that were felt widely.
2 earthquakes near Sabattus, Maine
The two earthquakes were felt and heard by residents of Sabattus and nearby cities, around 6 p.m. on Sunday evening.
- M2.2 – 1km WSW of Sabattus, Maine; reported by 180 people
- M 1.5 – 1km SSE of Sabattus, Main; reported by 13 people
Here’s the Sabbatus earthquake at 5:44 p.m., picked up on the seismograph at Colby College in Waterville. pic.twitter.com/UcJGluGAr3
— Ryan Breton (@RyanBretonWX) February 23, 2020
The depth of the strongest quake was just over 3 miles and this also the reason so many people felt it, despite its M2.2.
Maine sits in the middle of the North American Plate, which slightly moves every year. The motion puts stress on the entire crust of North America and when it is released, it creates some small earthquakes and rumbling noises like those people felt and heard around Sabattus, yesterday.
3 earthquakes rattle the New Madrid Fault Zone
Just a few hours later, 3 minor and shallow earthquakes also rattle the New Madrid Fault. 2 right in the ‘red zone’ of the fault line and one a bit aside.
- M2.8 – 11km SE of El Dorado, Arkansas, reported by 18 people
- M2.7 – 6km ENE of Malden, Missouri, reported by 11 people
- M2.2 – 5km SSE of Manila, Arkansas, no reports
While those earthquakes aren’t extravagant at all, they just remind us that we are overdue for a giant eruption of this very active seismic fault zone. This means that a devastating ‘Big One’ could occur any time now. More earthquake news on Strange Sounds. [News Center Maine]
