QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.7md

Earthquake near Caraway, AR

No earthquake was likely felt in Caraway in the 24 hours to 5:32 pm CST (23:32 UTC). The last one was M 1.9, 18 km (11 mi) E, at 4:12 pm CDT on 27 July 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near Caraway

This page: a magnitude 1.7 earthquake was recorded 5 km (3 mi) east-northeast of Caraway, AR, at 5:25 am CDT on 11 August 2020 (10:25 UTC), 24 km deep.

USGS: 5 km ENE of Caraway, Arkansas

79 km (49 mi) NNW of Memphis, TN · 37 km (23 mi) E of Jonesboro, AR

5:25 am CDT, Aug 11, 2020 · · 24 km deep · released about 12 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Mississippi County 20 kmCraighead County 33 kmPoinsett County 44 kmDunklin County 46 kmGreene County 47 kmTipton County 56 kmLauderdale County 58 kmCrittenden County 64 kmPemiscot 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
5:25 am CDT on 11 August 2020 ()
Where
5 km (3 mi) east-northeast of Caraway, AR · earthquakes near Caraway
Magnitude
M 1.7 (md)
Depth
24 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Mississippi County, 20 km E
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 2283 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth it was probably too small to be felt, even directly above it. In Caraway, 5 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: Monette, Manila, Lake City, Leachville, Lepanto, Trumann.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 12 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,200,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 870,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 78× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.7 about 12 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 35.7758, -90.2698. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Mississippi County, AR 20 km (12 mi) E earthquakes near Mississippi County
Craighead County, AR 33 km (21 mi) W earthquakes near Craighead County
Poinsett County, AR 44 km (27 mi) WSW earthquakes near Poinsett County
Dunklin County, MO 46 km (29 mi) NNE earthquakes near Dunklin County
Greene County, AR 47 km (29 mi) NW earthquakes near Greene County
Tipton County, TN 56 km (35 mi) ESE earthquakes near Tipton County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.9 3 km N of Blytheville, Arkansas
  2. 2.2 7 km NNE of Etowah, Arkansas
  3. 1.7 7 km NNW of Lepanto, Arkansas
  4. 2.6 2 km N of Blytheville, Arkansas
  5. 2.2 3 km ENE of Dell, Arkansas
  6. 1.7 8 km W of Lepanto, Arkansas
  7. 2.1 8 km SE of Trumann, Arkansas
  8. 1.8 7 km SE of Trumann, Arkansas
  9. 1.8 3 km S of Holland, Missouri
  10. 1.6 1 km W of Cooter, Missouri
  11. 2.0 2 km W of Cooter, Missouri
  12. 1.5 3 km S of Dell, Arkansas
  13. 1.6 6 km NNE of Blytheville, Arkansas
  14. 2.2 5 km NNE of Blytheville, Arkansas
  15. 1.5 8 km SSE of Manila, 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.