QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.0md

Earthquake near Cape Girardeau, MO

No earthquake was likely felt in Cape Girardeau in the 24 hours to 4:32 am CST (10:32 UTC). The last one was M 3.5, 195 km (121 mi) NE, at 2:05 am CDT on 29 June 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 392 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Cape Girardeau

This page: a magnitude 2.0 earthquake was recorded 4 km (2 mi) west-southwest of Cape Girardeau, MO, at 2:50 am CDT on 22 August 2022 (07:50 UTC), less than 1 km deep. 10 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 3 km WSW of Cape Girardeau, Missouri

2:50 am CDT, Aug 22, 2022 · · 0.1 km deep · released about 33 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Cape Girardeau County 16 kmAlexander County 22 kmScott County 27 kmUnion County 35 kmPulaski County 39 kmBollinger County 42 kmPerry County 52 kmBallard County 55 kmMississippi County 56 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
2:50 am CDT on 22 August 2022 ()
Where
4 km (2 mi) west-southwest of Cape Girardeau, MO · earthquakes near Cape Girardeau
Missouri today
every earthquake in Missouri in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.0 (md)
Depth
0.1 km below the surface
Felt
10 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Cape Girardeau County, 16 km NW
Nearest mapped fault
Faults of Thebes Gap area, 6 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 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 26 km (16 mi) from the epicentre. In Cape Girardeau, 4 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: Scott City, Jackson, Chaffee, Oran.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 33 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 5.8 450,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 320,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 29× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.0 about 33 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 37.2895, -89.5537. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Cape Girardeau County, MO 16 km (10 mi) NW earthquakes near Cape Girardeau County
Alexander County, IL 22 km (13 mi) ESE earthquakes near Alexander County
Scott County, MO 27 km (17 mi) S earthquakes near Scott County
Union County, IL 35 km (22 mi) NE earthquakes near Union County
Pulaski County, IL 39 km (24 mi) ESE earthquakes near Pulaski County
Bollinger County, MO 42 km (26 mi) W earthquakes near Bollinger County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.9 6 km WNW of Cape Girardeau, Missouri
  2. 1.6 11 km WNW of Jonesboro, Illinois
  3. 1.7 5 km SSE of Bertrand, Missouri
  4. 2.0 3 km NE of Ullin, Illinois
  5. 2.4 2 km NNE of Wilson City, Missouri
  6. 2.3 5 km SSW of Charleston, Missouri
  7. 1.6 3 km WNW of Mill Creek, Illinois
  8. 2.1 1 km WSW of Mill Creek, Illinois
  9. 1.9 4 km SSE of Bertrand, Missouri
  10. 2.2 4 km ENE of Olmsted, Illinois
  11. 1.9 3 km SE of Bertrand, Missouri
  12. 1.9 4 km WNW of Barlow, Kentucky
  13. 2.0 2 km NNE of Wilson City, Missouri
  14. 2.0 southeastern Missouri
  15. 2.0 3 km SSW of McClure, Illinois

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.