QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.2md

Earthquake near Little Rock, AR

No earthquake was likely felt in Little Rock in the 24 hours to 10:47 am CST (16:47 UTC). The last one was M 4.0, 266 km (166 mi) NE, at 12:59 pm CDT on 23 April 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 913 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Little Rock

This page: a magnitude 2.2 earthquake was recorded 29 km (18 mi) southeast of Little Rock, AR, at 1:59 am CST on 1 January 2020 (07:59 UTC), 9.4 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 2 km WSW of Keo, Arkansas

33 km (20 mi) ESE of Little Rock, AR · 28 km (17 mi) SE of North Little Rock, AR

1:59 am CST, Jan 1, 2020 · · 9.4 km deep · released about 67 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lonoke County 22 kmPulaski County 32 kmJefferson County 37 kmGrant County 49 kmPrairie County 52 kmSaline County 58 kmFaulkner County 67 kmArkansas County 70 kmLincoln County 76 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
1:59 am CST on 1 January 2020 ()
Where
29 km (18 mi) southeast of Little Rock, AR · earthquakes near Little Rock
Magnitude
M 2.2 (md)
Depth
9.4 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Lonoke County, 22 km NE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2506 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 Little Rock, 29 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: England, Wrightsville, Redfield, Lonoke, Landmark, McAlmont.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 67 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.2 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 230,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 160,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 14× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.2 about 67 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 34.5933, -92.0393. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lonoke County, AR 22 km (14 mi) NE earthquakes near Lonoke County
Pulaski County, AR 32 km (20 mi) NW earthquakes near Pulaski County
Jefferson County, AR 37 km (23 mi) SSE earthquakes near Jefferson County
Grant County, AR 49 km (30 mi) SW earthquakes near Grant County
Prairie County, AR 52 km (32 mi) ENE earthquakes near Prairie County
Saline County, AR 58 km (36 mi) W earthquakes near Saline County

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

Aftershocks so far

No further earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

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.