QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.8md

Earthquake near Cherokee Village, AR

No earthquake was likely felt in Cherokee Village in the 24 hours to 2:26 am CST (08:26 UTC). The last one was M 4.0, 154 km (96 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 Cherokee Village

This page: a magnitude 2.8 earthquake was recorded 26 km (16 mi) south-southeast of Cherokee Village, AR, at 7:52 pm CDT on 5 May 2018 (00:52 UTC), 18 km deep. 16 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 5 km WNW of Smithville, Arkansas

7:52 pm CDT, May 5, 2018 · · 18 km deep · released about 430 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Sharp County 13 kmLawrence County 24 kmRandolph County 40 kmIndependence County 44 kmIzard County 50 kmFulton County 51 kmJackson County 58 kmOregon County 65 kmGreene County 72 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
7:52 pm CDT on 5 May 2018 ()
Where
26 km (16 mi) south-southeast of Cherokee Village, AR · earthquakes near Cherokee Village
Magnitude
M 2.8 (md)
Depth
18 km below the surface
Felt
16 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Sharp County, 13 km NW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3029 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 57 km (35 mi) from the epicentre. In Cherokee Village, 26 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 39 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 430 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 35,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 25,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 2.2× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.8 about 430 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 36.1028, -91.3620. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Sharp County, AR 13 km (8 mi) NW earthquakes near Sharp County
Lawrence County, AR 24 km (15 mi) ESE earthquakes near Lawrence County
Randolph County, AR 40 km (25 mi) NE earthquakes near Randolph County
Independence County, AR 44 km (28 mi) SSW earthquakes near Independence County
Izard County, AR 50 km (31 mi) W earthquakes near Izard County
Fulton County, AR 51 km (32 mi) NW earthquakes near Fulton County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.5 4 km NE of Black Rock, Arkansas
  2. 1.7 3 km WNW of Powhatan, Arkansas
  3. 1.6 5 km N of Black Rock, Arkansas
  4. 1.8 4 km WNW of Powhatan, Arkansas
  5. 2.1 4 km NW of Mount Pleasant, Arkansas
  6. 2.3 Missouri-Arkansas border region
  7. 2.1 5 km N of Black Rock, Arkansas
  8. 2.1 12 km ESE of Mammoth Spring, Arkansas
  9. 1.9 8 km NW of Smithville, Arkansas
  10. 1.8 6 km S of Ravenden, Arkansas
  11. 2.9 7 km SSW of O'Kean, Arkansas
  12. 2.3 10 km NNE of Newark, Arkansas
  13. 2.1 9 km SW of Mammoth Spring, Arkansas
  14. 2.3 8 km N of Williford, Arkansas
  15. 2.3 4 km SE of Imboden, 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.