QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Harrisburg, IL

No earthquake was likely felt in Harrisburg in the 24 hours to 4:32 am CST (10:32 UTC). The last one was M 3.5, 105 km (65 mi) NNE, at 2:05 am CDT on 29 June 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 392 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Harrisburg

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 23 km (14 mi) north-northwest of Harrisburg, IL, at 5:57 pm CDT on 24 July 2023 (22:57 UTC), 7.8 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 9 km E of Thompsonville, Illinois

98 km (61 mi) W of Evansville, IN

5:57 pm CDT, Jul 24, 2023 · · 7.8 km deep · released about 44 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Hamilton County 20 kmSaline County 21 kmFranklin County 25 kmWilliamson County 33 kmGallatin County 41 kmWhite County 45 kmJefferson County 48 kmJohnson County 55 kmHardin County 57 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
5:57 pm CDT on 24 July 2023 ()
Where
23 km (14 mi) north-northwest of Harrisburg, IL · earthquakes near Harrisburg
Illinois today
every earthquake in Illinois in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
7.8 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity I
Nearest
Hamilton County, 20 km NNE
Nearest mapped fault
Wabash Valley liquefaction features, 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 1028 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 28 km (17 mi) from the epicentre. In Harrisburg, 23 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: McLeansboro, Eldorado, West Frankfort, Benton, Johnston City, Carrier Mills.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 44 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 5.8 340,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 240,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 22× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 44 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 lists one earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.3 5 km SSW of Norris City, Illinois · 26 km E of this epicentre

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 37.9245, -88.6532. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Hamilton County, IL 20 km (13 mi) NNE earthquakes near Hamilton County
Saline County, IL 21 km (13 mi) SSE earthquakes near Saline County
Franklin County, IL 25 km (16 mi) WNW earthquakes near Franklin County
Williamson County, IL 33 km (20 mi) SW earthquakes near Williamson County
Gallatin County, IL 41 km (26 mi) ESE earthquakes near Gallatin County
White County, IL 45 km (28 mi) ENE earthquakes near White 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. 2.4 4 km NNE of Valier, Illinois
  2. 2.4 4 km WSW of Enfield, 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.