QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.0md

Earthquake near Marks, MS

No earthquake was likely felt in Marks in the 24 hours to 6:25 am CST (12:25 UTC). The last one was M 4.0, 204 km (127 mi) NNE, at 12:59 pm CDT on 23 April 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 913 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Marks

This page: a magnitude 2.0 earthquake was recorded 8 km (5 mi) north-northwest of Marks, MS, at 5:27 am CST on 7 December 2020 (11:27 UTC), 6.8 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 6 km SW of Darling, Mississippi

94 km (58 mi) SSW of Memphis, TN

5:27 am CST, Dec 7, 2020 · · 6.8 km deep · released about 32 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Quitman County 7 kmCoahoma County 28 kmPanola County 33 kmTunica County 38 kmTallahatchie County 42 kmPhillips County 51 kmTate County 51 kmYalobusha County 65 kmLee County 67 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
5:27 am CST on 7 December 2020 ()
Where
8 km (5 mi) north-northwest of Marks, MS · earthquakes near Marks
Magnitude
M 2.0 (md)
Depth
6.8 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity I
Nearest
Quitman County, 7 km SSE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2166 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 24 km (15 mi) from the epicentre. In Marks, 8 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: Jonestown, Lambert, Clarksdale, Friars Point.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 32 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 5.8 470,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 330,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 30× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.0 about 32 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 34.3143, -90.3192. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Quitman County, MS 7 km (5 mi) SSE earthquakes near Quitman County
Coahoma County, MS 28 km (17 mi) WSW earthquakes near Coahoma County
Panola County, MS 33 km (21 mi) E earthquakes near Panola County
Tunica County, MS 38 km (24 mi) N earthquakes near Tunica County
Tallahatchie County, MS 42 km (26 mi) SSE earthquakes near Tallahatchie County
Phillips County, AR 51 km (32 mi) WNW earthquakes near Phillips County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.7 12 km ENE of White Oak, Mississippi
  2. 2.0 2 km W of Helena, 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.