U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet FS-0006-01

February 2001 Printed on recycled paper

Earthquakes In and Near the 

Northeastern United States, 1638–1998

Earthquakes occur on geologic faults. However,

in nearly all parts of the northeastern U.S., we

do not yet know how to tell which fault caused

an individual earthquake. Geologic maps show

faults that are exposed at the Earth’s surface, and

maps like this one show the locations of earthquakes, but there is no reliable map of “earthquake faults” for the northeastern U.S.

The most common way to measure an earthquake’s size is its magnitude. There are many

different magnitude scales, or ways to measure

magnitude. Use of different scales can give

slightly different values for the magnitude of the

same earthquake. Therefore, your favorite earthquake might be shown here with a magnitude

slightly different from what you have seen

reported elsewhere.

The location of the earthquake’s focus is uncertain, typically by several kilometers (miles) or

more. Uncertainties are larger where seismographs (instruments that record earthquake shaking) are far apart, and for earthquakes that

occurred before the development of seismographs. In fact, the latitudes and longitudes of

some older earthquakes were so uncertain that

they were rounded off to the nearest tenth or half

a degree of longitude and latitude, or even to the

nearest whole degree. Nonetheless, despite the

uncertain earthquake locations, the map inside

shows that most areas shown on the map have

had earthquakes since European settlers arrived

there. All areas shown on the map have been

shaken by earthquakes.

Different areas were settled at different times,

and these differences also affect the geographic

distribution of known earthquakes. This is particularly true of earthquakes that occurred before

the establishment of a network of seismographs

throughout the northeastern U.S. during the

1970’s. If an earthquake was too old, too small,

or too remote to be recorded by a seismograph,

Old woodcut illustration showing contemporary

account of damage to towns northeast of

Boston, Massachusetts, during a magnitude 4.7

earthquake that occurred in 1744. Shaking was

strongest about 20 kilometers (12 miles) northeast of the center of present-day Boston.

(Reproduction of woodcut courtesy of the Rare

Books Division, New York Public Library, Astor,

Lenox, and Tilden Foundations.)

1744

Map inside this 

Fact Sheet shows the

regional pattern of

earthquake distribution in and near the

northeastern U.S.

A large-format 

version of the map

(same title and date)

contains additional

information about

northeastern earthquakes. To order, call

1-888 ASK USGS and

inquire about

Geologic

Investigations Series 

I-2737.

(continued on back page)

Prepared in cooperation with the Northeast States Emergency Consortium
NEW

BRUNSWICK

CANADA

CANADA

UNITED STATES

MAINE

QUEBEC

ONTARIO

NEW YORK

VERMONT

NEW HAMPSHIRE

MASSACHUSETTS

PENNSYLVANIA

MARYLAND

VIRGINIA

CONNECTICUT

DEL.

NEW JERSEY

R.I.

W. VA. OHIO

UNITED STATES

N.S.

1982

1869

1904

1929

1998

1944

1983

1925

1663

1940

1638

1727 1755

1737

1884

Baltimore

Washington D.C.

Annapolis Dover

Philadelphia

Trenton

Newark New York

Albany

Hartford Providence

Boston

Montpelier

Concord

Augusta

Quebec

Montreal

Ottawa

Rochester

Buffalo

Pittsburgh

Harrisburg

Toronto

7.0 and greater

6.0 - 6.9

5.0 - 5.9

4.0 - 4.9

3.0 - 3.9

Earthquake Magnitude

5.9

Magnitude 5.9

Mar. 21, 1904, 1:04 a.m.

Easternmost Maine: Chimneys fell, in and

near, two towns in Maine and one in New

Brunswick. Shaking was felt throughout

most of New England, Nova Scotia, New

Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and

southeastern Québec. One foreshock was

reported and more than 14 aftershocks

were reported over the next two and a half

days.

6.0

Magnitude 6.0

Nov. 18, 1755, 4:12 a.m.

Cape Ann, Massachusetts: At Boston, about 55

km (34 mi) southwest of Cape Ann, effects were

strongest on infilled land near the wharves.

About 100 chimneys were thrown down, and as

many as 1,500 others were damaged. Walls of

several brick buildings fell. Stone fences fell

throughout the countryside. Springs formed or

stopped. In eastern Massachusetts, ground

cracks opened; some emitted sand and water.

Aftershocks were reported. Shaking was felt

from Nova Scotia to Maryland, and from New

York State to a ship 320 km (200 mi) at sea.

Those aboard the ship thought it had run

aground. 

7.0

Magnitude 7.0

Feb. 5, 1663, 5:30 p.m.

Charlevoix, Québec: The largest earthquake

known in the northeastern U.S. and nearby

parts of Canada occurred in a seismically

active area, about 100 km (60 mi) northwest

of northern Maine. Shaking was reported to

have lasted about 3 minutes and caused large

landslides and sand blows. Six hundred km

(375 mi) away in eastern Massachusetts,

chimneys fell, pewter fell from shelves, and

many people ran into the streets. The largest

aftershocks of the next 3 days were felt in

Boston. Aftershocks were felt in Québec for

more than 7 months.

5.2

Magnitude 5.2

Dec. 18, 1737, 10:45 p.m.

New York City: Bells rang, and several

chimneys fell. The earthquake was felt in

Boston, Philadelphia, and northern

Delaware.

Aug. 10, 1884, 2:07 p.m.

New York City: Chimneys and bricks fell

and walls and plaster cracked in

Connecticut, northern New Jersey, southern New York, and eastern Pennsylvania.

The earthquake was felt from southern

Maine to central Virginia, and westward

to northeastern Ohio. Three strong

shocks occurred; the second was the

strongest. Slight aftershocks occurred on

Aug. 11.

5.2

Magnitude 5.2

Sept. 25, 1998, 2:52 p.m.

Pymatuning Reservoir, Pennsylvania:

The area in northwestern Pennsylvania

where the earthquake was centered is

mostly rural with many small towns.

The shaking and an explosion-like

noise drove many people outdoors. One

person was thrown down and injured.

A factory lost power when its transformer was damaged. Some chimneys

cracked or lost bricks and a few fell.

Some walls and windows cracked.

Plaster fell. In an empty elementary

school, ceiling tiles fell and windows

broke. Many items fell from shelves

in homes and stores. More than 100

residential water wells lost water and

many of them had to be deepened.

Shaking was felt in western New

York State and Pennsylvania, northeastern Ohio, eastern Michigan, and

southwestern Ontario. Several small

aftershocks occurred.

6.5

Magnitude 6.5

June 11, 1638, 2 p.m.

Central New Hampshire: The location and damage levels are very uncertain because settlements

were sparse and reports were few. Shaking was

felt strongly along the St. Lawrence River in

Canada and in Boston, widely but less strongly

across southern New England, and on ships

near the coast. Aftershocks were felt for

20 days in eastern Massachusetts.

ABOUT THIS MAP

The map in this Fact Sheet and in USGS Geologic

Investigations Series I-2737 was prepared for a 

general, nontechnical audience. Accordingly, it

should not be used to assess earthquake hazard in

small areas or at individual locations. The map does

not show known explosions, mine collapses, sonic

booms, or violent bursts caused by the expansion of

frozen ground, all of which can be mistaken for

earthquakes.
then we are likely to know about it only if it was

felt or caused damage, and if it was reported in

newspapers, diaries, or other written records.

This may be the reason why earthquakes that are

known from 1638 to 1937 are most numerous in

long-settled coastal areas, whereas earthquakes

since 1975 are more evenly distributed across the

northeastern U.S., including in inland areas.

1940

I was standing in a room on the second floor

of my house when I felt the house shake

violently for a short period of time. I heard a

loud ‘explosion-like’ noise outside and some

of my compact music disks fell off their

storage shelf. I looked out the second floor

window and saw all of my neighbors coming out of their homes. 

1998

Russell L. Wheeler, Nathan K. Trevor, 

Arthur C. Tarr, and Anthony J. Crone

Margo L. Johnson: Graphic design and 

layout of fact sheet

Nathan K. Trevor and Damon Sather: 

Geographic Information System (GIS)

assistance

URL for Fact Sheet:

http://geology.cr.usgs.gov/pub/fact-sheets/fs-0006-01/

URL for I-2737:

http://geology.cr.usgs.gov/pub/i-maps/i-2737/

”

“

Newspaper headlines and banner.

Reprinted with permission of the

Nashua Telegraph, Nashua, New

Hampshire; all rights reserved.

Chimney that collapsed on a Greenville, Pennsylvania,

home during the September 25, 1998, Pymatuning earthquake. Local resident Shawn Woodruff is demolishing the

chimney to prevent further collapse and damage to the

home’s roof. (Photograph reprinted with permission of

the Times Publishing Company, Erie, Pennsylvania,

Copyright 2000.)

Eyewitness account from a member of the

Greenville, Pennsylvania, Fire Department

during the September 25, 1998,

Pymatuning earthquake. (Published

in Pennsylvania Geology, 1998,

vol. 29, no. 4.)

(continued from front page)