QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9md

Earthquake near New Madrid, MO

No earthquake was likely felt in New Madrid in the 24 hours to 11:29 am CST (17:29 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 28 km (17 mi) S, at 2:20 pm CDT on 29 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near New Madrid

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 10 km (6 mi) southwest of New Madrid, MO, at 10:01 am CDT on 20 October 2018 (15:01 UTC), 8.4 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 1 km N of Marston, Missouri

10:01 am CDT, Oct 20, 2018 · · 8.4 km deep · released about 25 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N New Madrid County 7 kmLake County 25 kmFulton County 38 kmPemiscot County 39 kmMississippi County 43 kmStoddard County 46 kmObion County 46 kmDyer County 57 kmScott 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
10:01 am CDT on 20 October 2018 ()
Where
10 km (6 mi) southwest of New Madrid, MO · earthquakes near New Madrid
Missouri today
every earthquake in Missouri in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 1.9 (md)
Depth
8.4 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
New Madrid County, 7 km NNW
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 2944 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 21 km (13 mi) from the epicentre. In New Madrid, 10 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: New Madrid 10 km, intensity II · Portageville 14 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 25 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.0 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 600,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 420,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 38× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 25 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 36.5358, -89.6167. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
New Madrid County, MO 7 km (5 mi) NNW earthquakes near New Madrid County
Lake County, TN 25 km (16 mi) SSE earthquakes near Lake County
Fulton County, KY 38 km (24 mi) E earthquakes near Fulton County
Pemiscot County, MO 39 km (24 mi) SSW earthquakes near Pemiscot County
Mississippi County, MO 43 km (27 mi) NE earthquakes near Mississippi County
Stoddard County, MO 46 km (28 mi) NW earthquakes near Stoddard 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. 1.7 3 km WNW of Marston, Missouri
  2. 1.6 5 km NNW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  3. 1.6 7 km ESE of Marston, Missouri
  4. 1.6 6 km NW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  5. 2.3 4 km N of North Lilbourn, Missouri
  6. 1.6 13 km WNW of Newbern, Tennessee
  7. 2.2 8 km WSW of East Prairie, Missouri
  8. 1.8 7 km SE of Marston, Missouri
  9. 2.1 4 km E of Marston, Missouri
  10. 1.5 4 km SW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  11. 1.6 9 km SSE of New Madrid, Missouri
  12. 1.5 5 km NNE of New Madrid, Missouri
  13. 1.5 11 km N of Dyersburg, Tennessee
  14. 1.6 2 km NE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  15. 2.9 1 km SSW of Howardville, 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.