QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.6md

Earthquake near Bernie, MO

No earthquake was likely felt in Bernie in the 24 hours to 5:14 am CST (11:14 UTC). The last one was M 2.2, 25 km (16 mi) ESE, at 2:06 am CDT on 15 August 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 17 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Bernie

This page: a magnitude 2.6 earthquake was recorded 3 km (2 mi) south-southwest of Bernie, MO, at 3:26 pm CST on 23 December 2017 (21:26 UTC), 6.2 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 3 km SSW of Bernie, Missouri

3:26 pm CST, Dec 23, 2017 · · 6.2 km deep · released about 270 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Stoddard County 24 kmNew Madrid County 30 kmButler County 38 kmClay County 49 kmPemiscot County 51 kmDunklin County 55 kmLake County 56 kmScott County 58 kmMississippi County 65 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
3:26 pm CST on 23 December 2017 ()
Where
3 km (2 mi) south-southwest of Bernie, MO · earthquakes near Bernie
Missouri today
every earthquake in Missouri in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.6 (md)
Depth
6.2 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Stoddard County, 24 km N
Nearest mapped fault
Reelfoot scarp and New Madrid seismic zone, under 1 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 1557 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 52 km (32 mi) from the epicentre. In Bernie, 3 km away, the estimate is intensity III (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: Malden 9 km, intensity III · Portageville 35 km, intensity II · Poplar Bluff 39 km, intensity II · New Madrid 41 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 270 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 57,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 40,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 3.6× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.6 about 270 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 36.6407, -89.9837. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Stoddard County, MO 24 km (15 mi) N earthquakes near Stoddard County
New Madrid County, MO 30 km (18 mi) E earthquakes near New Madrid County
Butler County, MO 38 km (24 mi) WNW earthquakes near Butler County
Clay County, AR 49 km (31 mi) SW earthquakes near Clay County
Pemiscot County, MO 51 km (32 mi) SSE earthquakes near Pemiscot County
Dunklin County, MO 55 km (34 mi) S earthquakes near Dunklin County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.4 9 km SE of Marston, Missouri
  2. 1.9 4 km NW of Marston, Missouri
  3. 1.7 5 km E of Marston, Missouri
  4. 2.2 6 km E of Marston, Missouri
  5. 2.3 5 km NNW of New Madrid, Missouri
  6. 1.9 7 km W of Parma, Missouri
  7. 2.5 8 km SSE of New Madrid, Missouri
  8. 1.7 7 km W of Parma, Missouri
  9. 1.7 7 km NW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  10. 2.3 5 km WNW of Marston, Missouri
  11. 2.4 8 km SSE of Marston, Missouri
  12. 2.1 4 km E of Risco, Missouri
  13. 1.9 2 km WSW of Howardville, Missouri
  14. 1.7 7 km SE of Marston, Missouri
  15. 1.6 7 km E of Hayward, Missouri

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.