QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.5md

Earthquake near Clinton, AR

No earthquake was likely felt in Clinton in the 24 hours to 3:39 pm CST (21:39 UTC). The last one was M 4.0, 243 km (151 mi) ENE, at 12:59 pm CDT on 23 April 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 913 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Clinton

This page: a magnitude 2.5 earthquake was recorded 20 km (13 mi) west of Clinton, AR, at 10:17 pm CDT on 22 September 2018 (03:17 UTC), 8.7 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 20 km W of Clinton, Arkansas

99 km (62 mi) NNW of Little Rock, AR · 59 km (37 mi) NNW of Conway, AR

10:17 pm CDT, Sep 22, 2018 · · 8.7 km deep · released about 180 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Van Buren County 15 kmPope County 34 kmConway County 34 kmSearcy County 36 kmFaulkner County 57 kmStone County 58 kmNewton County 61 kmCleburne County 61 kmJohnson 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
10:17 pm CDT on 22 September 2018 ()
Where
20 km (13 mi) west of Clinton, AR · earthquakes near Clinton
Magnitude
M 2.5 (md)
Depth
8.7 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Van Buren County, 15 km E
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2906 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 46 km (29 mi) from the epicentre. In Clinton, 20 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.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 180 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.5 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 86,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 61,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 5.4× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.5 about 180 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 35.5752, -92.6833. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Van Buren County, AR 15 km (9 mi) E earthquakes near Van Buren County
Pope County, AR 34 km (21 mi) WSW earthquakes near Pope County
Conway County, AR 34 km (21 mi) S earthquakes near Conway County
Searcy County, AR 36 km (22 mi) N earthquakes near Searcy County
Faulkner County, AR 57 km (35 mi) SSE earthquakes near Faulkner County
Stone County, AR 58 km (36 mi) ENE earthquakes near Stone County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.0 17 km NNE of Hector, Arkansas
  2. 2.0 4 km SSE of Hector, Arkansas
  3. 2.3 3 km NE of Greenbrier, Arkansas
  4. 2.0 3 km SSE of Guy, Arkansas
  5. 2.2 14 km NE of Pelsor, Arkansas
  6. 2.3 14 km NE of Pelsor, Arkansas
  7. 2.4 14 km NE of Pelsor, Arkansas
  8. 2.4 11 km W of Clinton, Arkansas
  9. 2.2 10 km WSW of Center Ridge, Arkansas
  10. 1.9 5 km W of Damascus, Arkansas
  11. 2.1 5 km NNE of Greenbrier, Arkansas
  12. 2.0 Arkansas
  13. 2.3 6 km ESE of Center Ridge, Arkansas
  14. 1.9 16 km NE of Hector, Arkansas
  15. 2.1 6 km WSW of Leslie, 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.