3.0 Earthquake Detected in Downeast Maine Wednesday Morning

Another earthquake was reported early Wednesday morning in Washington County, Maine, less than a week after two similar-sized earthquakes were detected in that area.

According to the National Weather Service Office in Caribou, a 3.0 magnitude quake occurred at 2:55 a.m. EST, about 3 kilometers east-southeast of Centerville Township, Maine, at a depth of about 5 km below the Earth’s surface.

No damage or injuries were reported.

One of the Washington County earthquakes last Thursday occurred about 4 km east of Centerville Township according the U. S. Geological Survey. The other quake was centered 4 km west-northwest of Jonesboro. Experts say both were a magnitude 2.8 as measured on a seismometer. There have also been a handful of much smaller quakes detected in the Machias area in the past week.

Wednesday morning’s earthquake was the 14th in the state so far this year over magnitude 1.8, according to data from the Maine Geological Survey.  That includes a 2.4 magnitude quake in the Smyrna area in southern Aroostook County on February 12th.

Scientists say earthquakes typically only will cause damage when magnitudes pass the 4.0 mark. Differences in soil composition, building construction, and distance from the earthquake, however, can affect outcomes.

Resources for finding/reporting earthquakes in your area

The US Geological Survey has a self-reporting tool called "Did You Feel It?" This tool collects information from people who felt an earthquake.  It uses that data to create maps that show what people experienced and the extent of damage.

You can find a full listing of earthquakes in Maine and New Brunswick this year at Earthquaketrack.com