BELFAST, Maine — A minor earthquake gave some residents a jolt Friday night.
A magnitude 2.0 occurred two miles northwest of Belfast, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake occurred at 11:25 p.m.
There were 46 people from the area who reported online that they felt the quake, according to John Bellini who is a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey.
A 2.0 will generally not cause any damage, he said. He said it takes a 4.5 magnitude quake generally before there is any damage.
“With a 2.0 you get a quick jolt, a bang or a bump,” Bellini said.
He said the number of people who felt it is more than if it had occurred during the day when there is more human action going on and more noise.
“People were probably just going to bed and felt it,” he said.
A 2.0 is on the low end of quakes that can be felt, he added.
The Waldo County Communications Center said it received some calls from people reporting a possible quake but no damage or injuries were reported.
Bellini said an increase of one magnitude in a quake, such as from 2.0 to 3.0 would increase ground movement by 10 times and the amount of energy is about 32 times greater.
The largest quake that has been felt in Maine since records were maintained occurred on March 21, 1904, according to the USGS. That 5.1 quake knocked over some chimneys in Calais, Eastport and St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada. The quake was felt throughout New England and the Atlantic Provinces.
If Searsport ever allows that new NO TANKS tank to be built and it blew up …would that be jolt felt as far away as Belfast? In Ireland?
We get you don’t like the new tanks……
Don’t have an opinion on the matter. Just making an observation. It would be a large thud though.
Yes Tank, No thanks Flatlanders.
The neighbors brother said that one of his Elvis collectible plates
was on the floor broken in pieces.
So , yes , damage can occur.
Oh wow… compare that to a building being destroyed… I plate falling and breaking is nothing
Unless its yours.
Report it to the Geological folks and see how quick they change their mind
You know your in Maine when they report about a small earthquake
Thought it was the newlyweds down the street,,,,,,,,,,,
I think the more “fracking” allowed the more earth quakes will occur.
Are you “fracking” serious?
I heard the total damage amounted to 12 lost glasses of Allens sombrero’s.
We didn’t feel it here at the Welcome Center, we see it was located over in Searsmont. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usc000dxll#summary
Run for the hills, global warming is comming
We didn’t feel it here at the Maine Coast Welcome Center. On USGS it was located 10 miles West of us, in Searsmont.
Felt it here in Waldo at 11:26 pm. Rattled some stuff and the northwest corner of the house shook. I thought it was my neighbor throwing gas on a bonfire.