QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3md

Earthquake near Benton, AR

No earthquake was likely felt in Benton in the 24 hours to 2:15 pm CST (20:15 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 13 km (8 mi) NNW, at 8:03 pm CDT on 17 June 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Benton

This page: a magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 14 km (9 mi) south-southeast of Benton, AR, at 8:10 pm CDT on 24 June 2016 (01:10 UTC), less than 1 km deep.

USGS: 3 km E of Tull, Arkansas

36 km (22 mi) SSW of Little Rock, AR

8:10 pm CDT, Jun 24, 2016 · · 0.2 km deep · released about 79 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Grant County 21 kmSaline County 26 kmHot Spring County 39 kmPulaski County 42 kmDallas County 54 kmGarland County 57 kmJefferson County 59 kmPerry County 66 kmLonoke County 69 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
8:10 pm CDT on 24 June 2016 ()
Where
14 km (9 mi) south-southeast of Benton, AR · earthquakes near Benton
Magnitude
M 2.3 (md)
Depth
0.2 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Grant County, 21 km SSE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3791 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 36 km (22 mi) from the epicentre. In Benton, 14 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: Haskell, Bryant, Sheridan, Salem, East End, Alexander.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 79 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 5.8 190,000× 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 79 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 34.4427, -92.5435. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Grant County, AR 21 km (13 mi) SSE earthquakes near Grant County
Saline County, AR 26 km (16 mi) NNW earthquakes near Saline County
Hot Spring County, AR 39 km (24 mi) WSW earthquakes near Hot Spring County
Pulaski County, AR 42 km (26 mi) NNE earthquakes near Pulaski County
Dallas County, AR 54 km (33 mi) S earthquakes near Dallas County
Garland County, AR 57 km (36 mi) WNW earthquakes near Garland County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.7 4 km SW of Avilla, Arkansas
  2. 2.3 4 km WSW of Avilla, Arkansas
  3. 2.1 6 km S of Prattsville, Arkansas
  4. 2.9 3 km SW of Prattsville, Arkansas
  5. 2.2 2 km WSW of Keo, Arkansas
  6. 2.0 7 km SSW of Jones Mills, Arkansas
  7. 2.6 9 km E of Leola, 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.