QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.6md

Earthquake near Pine Bluff, AR

No earthquake was likely felt in Pine Bluff in the 24 hours to 5:43 pm CST (23:43 UTC). The last one was M 4.0, 284 km (176 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 Pine Bluff

This page: a magnitude 2.6 earthquake was recorded 45 km (28 mi) west of Pine Bluff, AR, at 12:42 am CST on 12 January 2017 (06:42 UTC), 10 km deep. 13 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 9 km E of Leola, Arkansas

62 km (39 mi) SSW of Little Rock, AR

12:42 am CST, Jan 12, 2017 · · 10 km deep · released about 220 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Grant County 13 kmDallas County 28 kmCleveland County 42 kmHot Spring County 44 kmJefferson County 53 kmSaline County 55 kmClark County 65 kmPulaski County 68 kmCalhoun 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
12:42 am CST on 12 January 2017 ()
Where
45 km (28 mi) west of Pine Bluff, AR · earthquakes near Pine Bluff
Magnitude
M 2.6 (md)
Depth
10 km below the surface
Felt
13 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Grant County, 13 km NNE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3512 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 48 km (30 mi) from the epicentre. In Pine Bluff, 45 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: Sheridan.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 220 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 70,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 50,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 4.4× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.6 about 220 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 34.1788, -92.4913. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Grant County, AR 13 km (8 mi) NNE earthquakes near Grant County
Dallas County, AR 28 km (17 mi) SSW earthquakes near Dallas County
Cleveland County, AR 42 km (26 mi) SE earthquakes near Cleveland County
Hot Spring County, AR 44 km (28 mi) WNW earthquakes near Hot Spring County
Jefferson County, AR 53 km (33 mi) ENE earthquakes near Jefferson County
Saline County, AR 55 km (34 mi) NNW earthquakes near Saline County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.1 6 km S of Prattsville, Arkansas
  2. 2.9 3 km SW of Prattsville, Arkansas
  3. 2.1 11 km ESE of Rison, Arkansas
  4. 2.0 7 km SSW of Jones Mills, 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.