QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8md

Earthquake near Walnut Ridge, AR

No earthquake was likely felt in Walnut Ridge in the 24 hours to 4:29 am CST (10:29 UTC). The last one was M 4.0, 102 km (63 mi) E, at 12:59 pm CDT on 23 April 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 913 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Walnut Ridge

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 19 km (12 mi) west-northwest of Walnut Ridge, AR, at 2:08 pm CDT on 21 April 2021 (19:08 UTC), 3.9 km deep.

USGS: 4 km WNW of Powhatan, Arkansas

54 km (33 mi) NW of Jonesboro, AR

2:08 pm CDT, Apr 21, 2021 · · 3.9 km deep · released about 16 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lawrence County 9 kmSharp County 29 kmRandolph County 29 kmGreene County 53 kmIndependence County 54 kmJackson County 57 kmCraighead County 57 kmRipley County 66 kmFulton County 67 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
2:08 pm CDT on 21 April 2021 ()
Where
19 km (12 mi) west-northwest of Walnut Ridge, AR · earthquakes near Walnut Ridge
Magnitude
M 1.8 (md)
Depth
3.9 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Lawrence County, 9 km SE
Nearest mapped fault
Western Lowlands liquefaction features, 21 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 2029 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 17 km (11 mi) from the epicentre. In Walnut Ridge, 19 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: Hoxie, Pocahontas.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 16 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 930,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 660,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 59× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.8 about 16 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 36.1040, -91.1615. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lawrence County, AR 9 km (5 mi) SE earthquakes near Lawrence County
Sharp County, AR 29 km (18 mi) WNW earthquakes near Sharp County
Randolph County, AR 29 km (18 mi) NNE earthquakes near Randolph County
Greene County, AR 53 km (33 mi) E earthquakes near Greene County
Independence County, AR 54 km (34 mi) SW earthquakes near Independence County
Jackson County, AR 57 km (35 mi) S earthquakes near Jackson County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.4 7 km SW of Ravenden, Arkansas
  2. 2.3 7 km SSW of Ravenden, Arkansas
  3. 2.0 4 km SW of Powhatan, Arkansas
  4. 2.1 5 km N of Black Rock, Arkansas
  5. 1.6 8 km NW of Strawberry, Arkansas
  6. 1.8 3 km N of Black Rock, Arkansas
  7. 1.6 8 km WNW of Strawberry, Arkansas
  8. 1.6 4 km SE of Strawberry, Arkansas
  9. 2.3 5 km NNW of Strawberry, Arkansas
  10. 2.1 9 km NNW of Ravenden Springs, Arkansas
  11. 1.8 2 km W of Imboden, Arkansas
  12. 1.5 2 km W of Lynn, Arkansas
  13. 2.0 Missouri-Arkansas border region
  14. 2.0 2 km NNW of Black Rock, Arkansas
  15. 1.6 1 km WNW of Lynn, 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.