QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9md

Earthquake near Malden, MO

No earthquake was likely felt in Malden in the 24 hours to 8:08 am CST (14:08 UTC). The last one was M 2.2, 21 km (13 mi) E, at 2:06 am CDT on 15 August 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 17 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Malden

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 16 km (10 mi) east of Malden, MO, at 2:16 am CDT on 17 July 2017 (07:16 UTC), 17 km deep.

USGS: 3 km NE of Risco, Missouri

2:16 am CDT, Jul 17, 2017 · · 17 km deep · released about 24 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N New Madrid County 12 kmStoddard County 34 kmLake County 38 kmPemiscot County 40 kmMississippi County 52 kmDunklin County 53 kmFulton County 53 kmScott County 56 kmButler County 57 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
2:16 am CDT on 17 July 2017 ()
Where
16 km (10 mi) east of Malden, MO · earthquakes near Malden
Missouri today
every earthquake in Missouri in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 1.9 (md)
Depth
17 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
New Madrid County, 12 km ENE
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 3404 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 14 km (9 mi) from the epicentre. In Malden, 16 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: Lilbourn, Gideon, Portageville, Bernie, Clarkton, New Madrid.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 24 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 640,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 450,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 40× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 24 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 36.5722, -89.7850. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
New Madrid County, MO 12 km (7 mi) ENE earthquakes near New Madrid County
Stoddard County, MO 34 km (21 mi) NNW earthquakes near Stoddard County
Lake County, TN 38 km (23 mi) SE earthquakes near Lake County
Pemiscot County, MO 40 km (25 mi) S earthquakes near Pemiscot County
Mississippi County, MO 52 km (32 mi) ENE earthquakes near Mississippi County
Dunklin County, MO 53 km (33 mi) SSW earthquakes near Dunklin County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.9 9 km NNW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  2. 2.3 5 km WNW of Marston, Missouri
  3. 2.3 5 km WSW of Pinhook, Missouri
  4. 1.6 6 km SSE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  5. 1.6 7 km S of Ridgely, Tennessee
  6. 1.8 7 km S of Ridgely, Tennessee
  7. 1.5 7 km NW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  8. 2.3 7 km ESE of Marston, Missouri
  9. 2.0 0 km WNW of Howardville, Missouri
  10. 2.1 0 km NW of Howardville, Missouri
  11. 1.6 0 km NW of Howardville, Missouri
  12. 1.8 0 km NW of Howardville, Missouri
  13. 2.7 0 km NNW of Howardville, Missouri
  14. 1.5 9 km NW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  15. 2.0 southeastern 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.