QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8md

Earthquake near New Madrid, MO

No earthquake was likely felt in New Madrid in the 24 hours to 6:26 pm CST (00:26 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 28 km (17 mi) S, at 2:20 pm CDT on 29 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near New Madrid

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 4 km (2 mi) west-northwest of New Madrid, MO, at 12:56 am CDT on 17 June 2023 (05:56 UTC), 3.9 km deep.

USGS: 3 km WNW of New Madrid, Missouri

12:56 am CDT, Jun 17, 2023 · · 3.9 km deep · released about 15 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N New Madrid County 8 kmLake County 30 kmFulton County 34 kmMississippi County 35 kmStoddard County 44 kmObion County 46 kmPemiscot County 47 kmScott County 50 kmHickman County 54 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
12:56 am CDT on 17 June 2023 ()
Where
4 km (2 mi) west-northwest of New Madrid, MO · earthquakes near New Madrid
Missouri today
every earthquake in Missouri in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 1.8 (md)
Depth
3.9 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
New Madrid County, 8 km W
Nearest mapped fault
Reelfoot scarp and New Madrid seismic zone, 2 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 1240 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 16 km (10 mi) from the epicentre. In New Madrid, 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.

Likely felt in: New Madrid 4 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 15 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,000,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 710,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 63× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.8 about 15 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 36.5965, -89.5697. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
New Madrid County, MO 8 km (5 mi) W earthquakes near New Madrid County
Lake County, TN 30 km (19 mi) SSE earthquakes near Lake County
Fulton County, KY 34 km (21 mi) E earthquakes near Fulton County
Mississippi County, MO 35 km (22 mi) NE earthquakes near Mississippi County
Stoddard County, MO 44 km (27 mi) NW earthquakes near Stoddard County
Obion County, TN 46 km (28 mi) SE earthquakes near Obion 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. 1.5 6 km SSE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  2. 2.8 9 km N of New Madrid, Missouri
  3. 1.6 7 km SE of Marston, Missouri
  4. 1.9 0 km WSW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  5. 1.7 1 km N of Marston, Missouri
  6. 2.2 3 km NW of Marston, Missouri
  7. 1.6 9 km N of New Madrid, Missouri
  8. 1.7 7 km SE of Marston, Missouri
  9. 1.7 7 km S of Ridgely, Tennessee
  10. 2.0 8 km NW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  11. 1.7 7 km NW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  12. 1.7 1 km SW of Howardville, Missouri
  13. 1.7 4 km WNW of Marston, Missouri
  14. 1.5 4 km NW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  15. 2.3 4 km WSW 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.