QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 3.1md

Earthquake near Pocahontas, AR

No earthquake was likely felt in Pocahontas in the 24 hours to 2:24 am CST (08:24 UTC). The last one was M 4.0, 105 km (65 mi) ESE, at 12:59 pm CDT on 23 April 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 913 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Pocahontas

This page: a magnitude 3.1 earthquake was recorded 23 km (14 mi) west-southwest of Pocahontas, AR, at 9:12 am CDT on 21 August 2022 (14:12 UTC), 16 km deep. 221 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 4 km SSW of Imboden, Arkansas

9:12 am CDT, Aug 21, 2022 · · 16 km deep · released about 1,500 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lawrence County 17 kmSharp County 24 kmRandolph County 25 kmGreene County 57 kmIndependence County 58 kmOregon County 60 kmFulton County 60 kmRipley County 61 kmCraighead County 64 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
9:12 am CDT on 21 August 2022 ()
Where
23 km (14 mi) west-southwest of Pocahontas, AR · earthquakes near Pocahontas
Magnitude
M 3.1 (md)
Depth
16 km below the surface
Felt
221 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Measured shaking
intensity IV (ShakeMap)
Nearest
Lawrence County, 17 km SSE
Nearest mapped fault
Western Lowlands liquefaction features, 21 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 1471 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 157 km (98 mi) from the epicentre. In Pocahontas, 23 km away, the estimate is intensity III (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: Pocahontas 23 km, intensity III. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 1,500 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 4.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 220,000× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 9,800× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 6,900× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 3.1 about 1,500 lb of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 1.6× more

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 36.1687, -91.1988. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lawrence County, AR 17 km (10 mi) SSE earthquakes near Lawrence County
Sharp County, AR 24 km (15 mi) W earthquakes near Sharp County
Randolph County, AR 25 km (15 mi) NE earthquakes near Randolph County
Greene County, AR 57 km (35 mi) E earthquakes near Greene County
Independence County, AR 58 km (36 mi) SW earthquakes near Independence County
Oregon County, MO 60 km (37 mi) NNW earthquakes near Oregon County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.7 4 km ESE of Lynn, Arkansas
  2. 2.1 5 km S of Strawberry, Arkansas
  3. 1.8 3 km SE of Strawberry, Arkansas
  4. 2.2 0 km SSE of Strawberry, Arkansas
  5. 2.2 13 km W of Maynard, Arkansas
  6. 1.8 5 km SSW of Strawberry, Arkansas
  7. 2.1 5 km SSW of Strawberry, Arkansas
  8. 1.8 9 km SSW of Williford, Arkansas
  9. 2.2 8 km SW of Williford, Arkansas
  10. 1.8 8 km SW of Williford, Arkansas
  11. 1.9 12 km SSW of Strawberry, Arkansas
  12. 1.8 3 km WNW of Lynn, Arkansas
  13. 2.1 6 km SSW of Strawberry, Arkansas
  14. 2.1 5 km N of Strawberry, Arkansas
  15. 2.1 5 km NW of Sidney, 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.