QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.0md

Earthquake near Steele, MO

No earthquake was likely felt in Steele in the 24 hours to 7:35 am CST (13:35 UTC). The last one was M 1.9, 10 km (6 mi) SSW, at 8:56 pm CDT on 17 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Steele

This page: a magnitude 2.0 earthquake was recorded 6 km (4 mi) east-northeast of Steele, MO, at 9:57 pm CST on 19 February 2023 (03:57 UTC), 7.7 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 6 km ENE of Steele, Missouri

9:57 pm CST, Feb 19, 2023 · · 7.7 km deep · released about 31 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Pemiscot County 12 kmDunklin County 28 kmDyer County 33 kmLake County 36 kmLauderdale County 39 kmMississippi County 45 kmNew Madrid County 56 kmObion County 62 kmCrockett County 65 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
9:57 pm CST on 19 February 2023 ()
Where
6 km (4 mi) east-northeast of Steele, MO · earthquakes near Steele
Missouri today
every earthquake in Missouri in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.0 (md)
Depth
7.7 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Pemiscot County, 12 km N
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 1360 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 24 km (15 mi) from the epicentre. In Steele, 6 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: Steele 6 km, intensity II · Caruthersville 14 km, intensity II · Blytheville 24 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 31 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 5.8 480,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 340,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 31× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.0 about 31 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 36.0992, -89.7628. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Pemiscot County, MO 12 km (8 mi) N earthquakes near Pemiscot County
Dunklin County, MO 28 km (17 mi) WNW earthquakes near Dunklin County
Dyer County, TN 33 km (21 mi) E earthquakes near Dyer County
Lake County, TN 36 km (22 mi) NE earthquakes near Lake County
Lauderdale County, TN 39 km (24 mi) SSE earthquakes near Lauderdale County
Mississippi County, AR 45 km (28 mi) SW earthquakes near Mississippi County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 9 km NW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  2. 2.4 7 km NW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  3. 1.8 1 km N of Cooter, Missouri
  4. 1.8 8 km NNW of Dyersburg, Tennessee
  5. 1.5 3 km ESE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  6. 1.8 southeastern Missouri
  7. 1.6 6 km ENE of Steele, Missouri
  8. 2.2 2 km ENE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  9. 1.7 8 km NW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  10. 1.5 3 km ESE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  11. 1.6 3 km ESE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  12. 1.7 5 km WSW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  13. 1.9 9 km ESE of Marston, Missouri
  14. 1.8 6 km E of Hayward, Missouri
  15. 2.6 southeastern 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.