QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3md

Earthquake near Bonne Terre, MO

No earthquake was likely felt in Bonne Terre in the 24 hours to 5:07 am CST (11:07 UTC). The last one was M 3.5, 238 km (148 mi) ENE, at 2:05 am CDT on 29 June 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 392 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Bonne Terre

This page: a magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 15 km (9 mi) east-northeast of Bonne Terre, MO, at 9:33 pm CDT on 2 August 2017 (02:33 UTC), 17 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 15 km ENE of Bonne Terre, Missouri

75 km (46 mi) S of St. Louis, MO

9:33 pm CDT, Aug 2, 2017 · · 17 km deep · released about 82 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Bonne Terre Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N St. Francois County 20 kmSte. Genevieve County 23 kmJefferson County 34 kmMonroe County 39 kmWashington County 44 kmIron County 47 kmRandolph County 51 kmMadison County 56 kmPerry County 60 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction and later quakes as coloured dots. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
9:33 pm CDT on 2 August 2017 ()
Where
15 km (9 mi) east-northeast of Bonne Terre, MO · earthquakes near Bonne Terre
Missouri today
every earthquake in Missouri in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.3 (md)
Depth
17 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
St. Francois County, 20 km SSW
Nearest mapped fault
St. Louis-Cape Girardeau liquefaction features, under 1 km from its surface trace — near is not the same as on
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1533 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 33 km (21 mi) from the epicentre. In Bonne Terre, 15 km away, the estimate is intensity II (weak). Estimated from magnitude, depth and distance with the intensity equation USGS Did You Feel It? uses; felt reports, where there are any, are the measurement.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Desloge, Esther, Park Hills, Flat River, Elvins, Leadwood.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 82 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.3 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 180,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 130,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 12× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 82 lb of TNT

Energy from the Gutenberg–Richter relation (log10E = 1.5M + 4.8), rounded to two figures; bar length is magnitude, which is already a logarithm of energy. Magnitudes of past earthquakes from the USGS catalogue.

For this area

No earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded within 50 km since our catalogue begins in 2016.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists one earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.1 Southwestern Illinois · 22 km NE of this epicentre

Since 2016: the QuakeIndex catalogue (US, M1.5+), built from the USGS FDSN event service. Before 2016: USGS ComCat, M5+ from 1900. Distances are between epicentres. This is the record, not a forecast.

Where

Epicentre 37.9755, -90.3948. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
St. Francois County, MO 20 km (12 mi) SSW earthquakes near St. Francois County
Ste. Genevieve County, MO 23 km (14 mi) ESE earthquakes near Ste. Genevieve County
Jefferson County, MO 34 km (21 mi) NNW earthquakes near Jefferson County
Monroe County, IL 39 km (24 mi) NNE earthquakes near Monroe County
Washington County, MO 44 km (27 mi) W earthquakes near Washington County
Iron County, MO 47 km (29 mi) SW earthquakes near Iron County

Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.

Aftershocks so far

20 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 2.0 14 km SSE of Weingarten, Missouri
  2. 2.0 6 km SSW of Valmeyer, Illinois
  3. 2.2 15 km SW of Ozora, Missouri
  4. 1.7 3 km WNW of Olympian Village, Missouri
  5. 2.3 4 km S of Valmeyer, Illinois
  6. 2.4 8 km SW of Ozora, Missouri
  7. 2.3 4 km E of Herculaneum, Missouri
  8. 1.9 5 km NW of Weingarten, Missouri
  9. 2.5 eastern Missouri
  10. 2.2 4 km E of Bonne Terre, Missouri
  11. 2.2 5 km NNE of Terre du Lac, Missouri
  12. 1.9 5 km W of Terre du Lac, Missouri
  13. 2.1 7 km SSW of Olympian Village, Missouri
  14. 2.2 2 km SE of De Soto, Missouri
  15. 2.3 5 km ENE of Ruma, Illinois

Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of . QuakeIndex does not forecast aftershocks. When USGS issues an operational aftershock forecast it appears on the USGS event page.

On USGS

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.