Small Earthquake Beneath Lake Erie, Ohio

Origin Time: March 11, 2006, 12:27:15:16 UTC
Location: 41.76º N   81.39º W
Magnitude: 3.0 mbLg
Depth: 5 km (Fixed)

A small, but widely felt, earthquake occurred on Saturday, March 11 at 7:27 a.m. Eastern Standard Time beneath Lake Erie about three miles offshore from Mentor and Mentor-on-the-Lake, Lake County. More than 300 felt reports were submitted to the Community Internet Intensity Web site from individuals in communities as far west as Euclid and as far east as Painesville. Most reports came from Mentor and Mentor-on-the-Lake and Eastlake but a significant number came from Willoughby and Willowick. Maximum Modified Mercalli Intensity was III. No damage was reported. Many residents reported a boom or jolt followed by a brief period of high-frequency shaking. Commonly, a first reaction was that a vehicle or tree limb had hit the house or that the furnace exploded. If you felt this earthquake and have not submitted a report, please follow the link below and fill out a short form. Collectively, this information is of great value to the Ohio Seismic Network in understanding how sediments respond to earthquakes. Such information will assist in future preparation of maps depicting seismic risk in various areas.
 
Earthquakes occurred this year at this general location on January 6 (2.6 magnitude), January 13 (2.3 magnitude), and February 10 (2.6 magnitude). Many residents of the Mentor area felt these previous events as well as the current one and expressed concern that they may be harbingers of a large earthquake. With current knowledge, such predictions cannot be made with scientifc accuracy. Although it is unusual in Ohio to have multiple earthquakes at about the same location in a comparatively short period of time, it is not unprecidented. Most seismograph stations of the Ohio Seismic recorded this earthquake throughout the state. Individuals who felt this earthquake are encouraged to fill out a short form at: