QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.0md

Earthquake near Pocahontas, AR

No earthquake was likely felt in Pocahontas in the 24 hours to 1:41 pm CST (19:41 UTC). The last one was M 4.0, 105 km (65 mi) ESE, at 12:59 pm CDT on 23 April 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 913 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Pocahontas

This page: a magnitude 2.0 earthquake was recorded 19 km (12 mi) southwest of Pocahontas, AR, at 9:56 pm CDT on 16 July 2021 (02:56 UTC), 11 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 6 km NNW of Black Rock, Arkansas

55 km (34 mi) NW of Jonesboro, AR

9:56 pm CDT, Jul 16, 2021 · · 11 km deep · released about 36 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lawrence County 13 kmRandolph County 23 kmSharp County 30 kmGreene County 51 kmCraighead County 58 kmRipley County 60 kmIndependence County 60 kmJackson County 63 kmOregon County 64 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
9:56 pm CDT on 16 July 2021 ()
Where
19 km (12 mi) southwest of Pocahontas, AR · earthquakes near Pocahontas
Magnitude
M 2.0 (md)
Depth
11 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Lawrence County, 13 km SSE
Nearest mapped fault
Western Lowlands liquefaction features, 16 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 1874 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 24 km (15 mi) from the epicentre. In Pocahontas, 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.

Likely felt in: Pocahontas 19 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 36 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.0 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 420,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 300,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 27× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.0 about 36 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 36.1557, -91.1328. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lawrence County, AR 13 km (8 mi) SSE earthquakes near Lawrence County
Randolph County, AR 23 km (14 mi) NNE earthquakes near Randolph County
Sharp County, AR 30 km (19 mi) W earthquakes near Sharp County
Greene County, AR 51 km (32 mi) E earthquakes near Greene County
Craighead County, AR 58 km (36 mi) SE earthquakes near Craighead County
Ripley County, MO 60 km (37 mi) NNE earthquakes near Ripley County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.2 3 km ESE of Strawberry, Arkansas
  2. 1.7 4 km SSW of Strawberry, Arkansas
  3. 1.7 Arkansas
  4. 1.5 5 km SE of Strawberry, Arkansas
  5. 1.7 4 km SE of Strawberry, Arkansas
  6. 2.5 2 km ESE of Strawberry, Arkansas
  7. 1.6 3 km SSE of Lynn, Arkansas
  8. 2.4 7 km SW of Ravenden, Arkansas
  9. 2.3 7 km SSW of Ravenden, Arkansas
  10. 2.0 4 km SW of Powhatan, Arkansas
  11. 2.1 5 km N of Black Rock, Arkansas
  12. 1.6 8 km NW of Strawberry, Arkansas
  13. 1.8 3 km N of Black Rock, Arkansas
  14. 1.6 8 km WNW of Strawberry, Arkansas
  15. 1.6 4 km SE of Strawberry, 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.