Minor Earthquake Reported near Portsmouth Abbey Early Tuesday

You might not have noticed, but at 1:58 a.m. early Tuesday morning, there was a 1.5 magnitude earthquake below waters between Prudence Island and Portsmouth.

According to seismic data recorded by Boston College’s Western Observatory, the earthquake was located about two kilometers north of Melville just west of The Carnegie Abbey Club and lasted for about 1.9 seconds.

A 1.5 magnitude earthquake would likely go unnoticed by anyone asleep at the time, especially since this quake was located 11.3 kilometers below the surface.

But minor tremors can still be felt depending on the composition of the rock and proximity to the epicenter. Someone standing on flat ground might feel a swaying or rocking sensation, but an earthquake of such low magnitude is unlikely to cause any damage, if any.