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Field survey of earthquake effects from the magnitude 4.0 southern Maine earthquake of October 16, 2012

Open-File Report 2016-1071
By: , , and 
https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20161071

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Abstract

The magnitude 4.0 earthquake that occurred on October 16, 2012, near Hollis Center and Waterboro in southwestern Maine surprised and startled local residents but caused only minor damage. A two-person U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) team was sent to Maine to conduct an intensity survey and document the damage. The only damage we observed was the failure of a chimney and plaster cracks in two buildings in East and North Waterboro, 6 kilometers (km) west of the epicenter. We photographed the damage and interviewed residents to determine the intensity distribution in the epicentral area. The damage and shaking reports are consistent with a maximum Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) of 5–6 for an area 1–8 km west of the epicenter, slightly higher than the maximum Community Decimal Intensity (CDI) of 5 determined by the USGS “Did You Feel It?” Web site. The area of strong shaking in East Waterboro corresponds to updip rupture on a fault plane that dips steeply east. 

Suggested Citation

Radakovich, A.L., Ferguson, A.J., and Boatwright, John, 2016, Field survey of earthquake effects from the magnitude 4.0 southern Maine earthquake of October 16, 2012: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2016–1071, 17 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20161071.

ISSN: 2331-1258 (online)

Study Area

Table of Contents

  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Historical Seismicity and Seismic Hazard in Maine
  • Focal Mechanism, Centroid Depth, and Moment Magnitude
  • Postearthquake Intensity Survey
  • Building Damage
  • Shaking Effects
  • Comparing the Field Intensities to the “Did You Feel It?” Intensities
  • Inferring the Fault Plane from the Intensity Distribution
  • Conclusions
  • References Cited
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Field survey of earthquake effects from the magnitude 4.0 southern Maine earthquake of October 16, 2012
Series title Open-File Report
Series number 2016-1071
DOI 10.3133/ofr20161071
Year Published 2016
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Earthquake Science Center
Description iv, 17 p.
First page 1
Last page 17
Country United States
State Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details