QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3md

Earthquake near Poplar Bluff, MO

No earthquake was likely felt in Poplar Bluff in the 24 hours to 4:32 am CST (10:32 UTC). The last one was M 2.4, 23 km (14 mi) WNW, at 4:36 pm CDT on 17 September 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Poplar Bluff

This page: a magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 28 km (17 mi) north-northeast of Poplar Bluff, MO, at 6:24 pm CDT on 3 April 2022 (23:24 UTC), 28 km deep.

USGS: 10 km WNW of Puxico, Missouri

6:24 pm CDT, Apr 3, 2022 · · 28 km deep · released about 72 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Wayne County 22 kmStoddard County 32 kmButler County 32 kmBollinger County 43 kmMadison County 55 kmCarter County 60 kmScott County 63 kmRipley County 66 kmCape Girardeau County 68 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
6:24 pm CDT on 3 April 2022 ()
Where
28 km (17 mi) north-northeast of Poplar Bluff, MO · earthquakes near Poplar Bluff
Missouri today
every earthquake in Missouri in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.3 (md)
Depth
28 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Wayne County, 22 km NW
Nearest mapped fault
Western Lowlands liquefaction features, 24 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 1682 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 Poplar Bluff, 28 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.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 72 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.3 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 210,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 150,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 13× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 72 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

The largest earthquake within 50 km since 2016 was M 4.0 on 2021-11-18 — about 420 times the energy of this one.

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 36.9850, -90.2688. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Wayne County, MO 22 km (13 mi) NW earthquakes near Wayne County
Stoddard County, MO 32 km (20 mi) ESE earthquakes near Stoddard County
Butler County, MO 32 km (20 mi) SSW earthquakes near Butler County
Bollinger County, MO 43 km (27 mi) NNE earthquakes near Bollinger County
Madison County, MO 55 km (34 mi) N earthquakes near Madison County
Carter County, MO 60 km (37 mi) W earthquakes near Carter County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.4 14 km SE of Ellsinore, Missouri
  2. 2.1 12 km ENE of Greenville, Missouri
  3. 1.8 4 km S of Bernie, Missouri
  4. 2.9 14 km SSW of Williamsville, Missouri
  5. 2.3 8 km WSW of Bernie, Missouri
  6. 2.4 7 km W of Williamsville, Missouri
  7. 2.6 12 km E of Williamsville, Missouri
  8. 2.6 5 km SW of Puxico, Missouri
  9. 3.1 4 km S of Puxico, Missouri
  10. 2.0 3 km ESE of Dexter, Missouri
  11. 2.5 13 km SSW of Williamsville, Missouri
  12. 2.3 9 km ESE of Williamsville, Missouri
  13. 2.7 4 km ENE of Grandin, Missouri
  14. 2.4 13 km E of Williamsville, Missouri
  15. 2.4 12 km SSE of Williamsville, 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.