QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.7md

Earthquake near Charleston, MO

No earthquake was likely felt in Charleston in the 24 hours to 3:52 am CST (09:52 UTC). The last one was M 3.5, 220 km (137 mi) NNE, at 2:05 am CDT on 29 June 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 392 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Charleston

This page: a magnitude 1.7 earthquake was recorded 9 km (5 mi) southwest of Charleston, MO, at 12:10 pm CDT on 26 April 2022 (17:10 UTC), 9.5 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 5 km SSE of Bertrand, Missouri

12:10 pm CDT, Apr 26, 2022 · · 9.5 km deep · released about 12 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Mississippi County 12 kmScott County 24 kmAlexander County 36 kmNew Madrid County 37 kmCarlisle County 40 kmFulton County 41 kmBallard County 42 kmHickman County 45 kmPulaski County 47 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
12:10 pm CDT on 26 April 2022 ()
Where
9 km (5 mi) southwest of Charleston, MO · earthquakes near Charleston
Missouri today
every earthquake in Missouri in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 1.7 (md)
Depth
9.5 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Mississippi County, 12 km ESE
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 1657 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 10 km (6 mi) from the epicentre. In Charleston, 9 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: Charleston 9 km, intensity II · East Prairie 10 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

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 1,300,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 900,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 80× 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 36.8663, -89.4208. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Mississippi County, MO 12 km (7 mi) ESE earthquakes near Mississippi County
Scott County, MO 24 km (15 mi) NNW earthquakes near Scott County
Alexander County, IL 36 km (22 mi) N earthquakes near Alexander County
New Madrid County, MO 37 km (23 mi) SW earthquakes near New Madrid County
Carlisle County, KY 40 km (25 mi) E earthquakes near Carlisle County
Fulton County, KY 41 km (25 mi) SSE earthquakes near Fulton 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. 1.8 4 km ENE of North Lilbourn, Missouri
  2. 2.0 3 km SSW of McClure, Illinois
  3. 1.7 2 km ESE of Lilbourn, Missouri
  4. 1.5 5 km SE of Marston, Missouri
  5. 1.7 1 km NE of Marston, Missouri
  6. 2.1 5 km NNW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  7. 1.8 southeastern Missouri
  8. 1.8 3 km SE of Marston, Missouri
  9. 1.6 6 km ESE of Marston, Missouri
  10. 2.8 6 km SSE of Catron, Missouri
  11. 2.2 southeastern Missouri
  12. 1.7 southeastern Missouri
  13. 1.6 4 km WNW of Marston, Missouri
  14. 1.7 southeastern Missouri
  15. 1.8 0 km NW 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.