QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9md

Earthquake near Caraway, AR

USGS: 7 km S of Caraway, Arkansas

73 km (45 mi) NNW of Memphis, TN · 34 km (21 mi) ESE of Jonesboro, AR

10:16 pm CDT, Sep 15, 2017 · · 13 km deep · released about 21 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Mississippi County 27 kmCraighead County 31 kmPoinsett County 34 kmGreene County 52 kmCrittenden County 55 kmDunklin County 57 kmTipton County 57 kmCross County 60 kmLauderdale 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
10:16 pm CDT on 15 September 2017 ()
Where
7 km (5 mi) S of Caraway, AR · earthquakes near Caraway
Magnitude
M 1.9 (md)
Depth
13 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Mississippi County, 27 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 3303 days ago

A magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 7 km (5 mi) S of Caraway, AR, at 10:16 pm CDT on 15 September 2017 (03:16 UTC). 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS. This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Lepanto, Trumann, Lake City, Marked Tree, Bay, Monette.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 21 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 5.8 710,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 500,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 45× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 21 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 35.6915, -90.3315. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Mississippi County, AR 27 km (17 mi) ENE earthquakes near Mississippi County
Craighead County, AR 31 km (19 mi) WNW earthquakes near Craighead County
Poinsett County, AR 34 km (21 mi) WSW earthquakes near Poinsett County
Greene County, AR 52 km (32 mi) NNW earthquakes near Greene County
Crittenden County, AR 55 km (34 mi) S earthquakes near Crittenden County
Dunklin County, MO 57 km (35 mi) NNE 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. 2.1 0 km WNW of Blytheville, Arkansas
  2. 2.2 5 km SSE of Manila, Arkansas
  3. 2.2 2 km NNW of Blytheville, Arkansas
  4. 2.4 1 km ESE of Jericho, Arkansas
  5. 1.7 8 km W of Victoria, Arkansas
  6. 1.9 2 km SSW of Blytheville, Arkansas
  7. 1.6 8 km NE of Etowah, Arkansas
  8. 2.0 8 km NNW of Lepanto, Arkansas
  9. 2.3 0 km WNW of Blytheville, Arkansas
  10. 1.8 3 km ESE of Dell, Arkansas
  11. 2.4 Arkansas
  12. 1.8 6 km SW of Gosnell, Arkansas
  13. 1.7 2 km ESE of Dell, Arkansas
  14. 1.5 4 km W of Etowah, Arkansas
  15. 2.4 3 km SW of Dell, 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.