QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.4md

Earthquake near Searcy, AR

No earthquake was likely felt in Searcy in the 24 hours to 2:16 pm CST (20:16 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 22 km (13 mi) NNE, at 11:24 am CDT on 22 June 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Searcy

This page: a magnitude 2.4 earthquake was recorded 21 km (13 mi) north of Searcy, AR, at 7:36 pm CST on 9 January 2018 (01:36 UTC), less than 1 km deep. 3 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 7 km ENE of Pangburn, Arkansas

97 km (60 mi) NE of Little Rock, AR

7:36 pm CST, Jan 9, 2018 · · 0.6 km deep · released about 120 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N White County 21 kmCleburne County 28 kmIndependence County 37 kmJackson County 51 kmWoodruff County 54 kmStone County 58 kmFaulkner County 62 kmVan Buren County 70 kmPrairie County 71 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
7:36 pm CST on 9 January 2018 ()
Where
21 km (13 mi) north of Searcy, AR · earthquakes near Searcy
Magnitude
M 2.4 (md)
Depth
0.6 km below the surface
Felt
3 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
White County, 21 km S
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1557 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 42 km (26 mi) from the epicentre. In Searcy, 21 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: Judsonia, Bald Knob, Kensett, Heber Springs.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 120 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.4 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 120,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 86,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 7.7× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.4 about 120 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 since 1900 lists no earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km.

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 35.4425, -91.7595. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
White County, AR 21 km (13 mi) S earthquakes near White County
Cleburne County, AR 28 km (17 mi) NW earthquakes near Cleburne County
Independence County, AR 37 km (23 mi) NNE earthquakes near Independence County
Jackson County, AR 51 km (32 mi) ENE earthquakes near Jackson County
Woodruff County, AR 54 km (34 mi) ESE earthquakes near Woodruff County
Stone County, AR 58 km (36 mi) NW earthquakes near Stone County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.3 12 km ENE of Pangburn, Arkansas
  2. 1.7 8 km SW of Heber Springs, Arkansas
  3. 2.3 9 km NW of Judsonia, Arkansas
  4. 2.2 12 km SSW of Pleasant Plains, Arkansas
  5. 1.8 11 km S of Pleasant Plains, Arkansas
  6. 2.9 11 km E of Pangburn, Arkansas
  7. 1.9 13 km SSE of Guion, Arkansas
  8. 2.1 3 km SW of Georgetown, Arkansas
  9. 2.1 13 km SSW of Pleasant Plains, Arkansas
  10. 2.2 12 km SSW of Pleasant Plains, Arkansas
  11. 2.0 14 km SSW of Pleasant Plains, Arkansas
  12. 2.1 12 km SSW of Pleasant Plains, Arkansas
  13. 1.8 11 km SSW of Pleasant Plains, Arkansas
  14. 1.9 11 km SW of Pleasant Plains, Arkansas
  15. 2.1 11 km NE of Pangburn, Arkansas

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.