QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Benton, AR

No earthquake was likely felt in Benton in the 24 hours to 10:48 am CST (16:48 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 13 km (8 mi) NNW, at 8:03 pm CDT on 17 June 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Benton

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 34 km (21 mi) south of Benton, AR, at 3:35 pm CDT on 6 June 2024 (20:35 UTC), 9.7 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 6 km S of Prattsville, Arkansas

55 km (34 mi) SSW of Little Rock, AR

3:35 pm CDT, Jun 6, 2024 · · 9.7 km deep · released about 41 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Grant County 12 kmDallas County 34 kmHot Spring County 37 kmSaline County 45 kmCleveland County 52 kmJefferson County 57 kmPulaski County 61 kmClark County 62 kmGarland County 66 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
3:35 pm CDT on 6 June 2024 ()
Where
34 km (21 mi) south of Benton, AR · earthquakes near Benton
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
9.7 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity I
Nearest
Grant County, 12 km ENE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 887 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 Benton, 34 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: Sheridan, Malvern, Haskell.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 41 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 370,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 260,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 23× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 41 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 34.2568, -92.5477. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Grant County, AR 12 km (7 mi) ENE earthquakes near Grant County
Dallas County, AR 34 km (21 mi) SSW earthquakes near Dallas County
Hot Spring County, AR 37 km (23 mi) W earthquakes near Hot Spring County
Saline County, AR 45 km (28 mi) NNW earthquakes near Saline County
Cleveland County, AR 52 km (32 mi) SE earthquakes near Cleveland County
Jefferson County, AR 57 km (35 mi) E earthquakes near Jefferson 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 4 km SW of Avilla, Arkansas
  2. 2.3 4 km WSW of Avilla, 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.