January 17, 2000 Earthquake in Western Maine

Weston Observatory reports that an earthquake occurred at 3:16:20 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Monday, January 17, 2000, in the Rumford area, Maine. It was felt in Oxford and Franklin Counties.

The following parameters have been calculated for the earthquake:

Magnitude	3.4 (calculation after Nuttli, 1973)
Location	44.57 North latitude, 70.44 West longitude
Depth	16.3 kilometers
This places the epicenter about 6 miles (10 kilometers) east of Rumford, in Dixfield, Maine.

Further Information:

A press release from the Reuters news service reported the earthquake, citing information sources at the U.S. Geological Survey.

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 3 miles north of Dixfield, close to the final location calculated by Weston Observatory.

Published News Reports:

News report:

"Once again, state shakes, rattles" by Kathryn Skelton, Lewiston Sun Journal, January 18, 2000.

News report available through Bangor Daily News:

"Recent quakes seen as typical" by Rich Hewitt, Bangor Daily News, February 1, 2000.

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 April 27, 2012