QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9md

Earthquake near Blytheville, AR

No earthquake was likely felt in Blytheville in the 24 hours to 4:27 am CST (10:27 UTC). The last one was M 1.9, 10 km (6 mi) NNE, at 8:56 pm CDT on 17 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Blytheville

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 9 km (6 mi) west-southwest of Blytheville, AR, at 9:44 pm CDT on 28 July 2023 (02:44 UTC), 3.6 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 5 km NNE of Dell, Arkansas

88 km (55 mi) N of Memphis, TN

9:44 pm CDT, Jul 28, 2023 · · 3.6 km deep · released about 22 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Mississippi County 15 kmDunklin County 28 kmLauderdale County 38 kmPemiscot County 40 kmTipton County 51 kmGreene County 55 kmCraighead County 56 kmDyer County 58 kmClay County 63 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
9:44 pm CDT on 28 July 2023 ()
Where
9 km (6 mi) west-southwest of Blytheville, AR · earthquakes near Blytheville
Magnitude
M 1.9 (md)
Depth
3.6 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Mississippi County, 15 km SSW
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 1200 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 21 km (13 mi) from the epicentre. In Blytheville, 9 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: Blytheville 9 km, intensity II · Manila 14 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 22 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 680,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 480,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 43× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 22 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 35.8997, -90.0153. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Mississippi County, AR 15 km (9 mi) SSW earthquakes near Mississippi County
Dunklin County, MO 28 km (18 mi) N earthquakes near Dunklin County
Lauderdale County, TN 38 km (24 mi) ESE earthquakes near Lauderdale County
Pemiscot County, MO 40 km (25 mi) NNE earthquakes near Pemiscot County
Tipton County, TN 51 km (32 mi) SSE earthquakes near Tipton County
Greene County, AR 55 km (34 mi) WNW earthquakes near Greene County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 4 km E of Caruthersville, Missouri
  2. 1.6 5 km NE of Etowah, Arkansas
  3. 2.0 0 km NNW of Cooter, Missouri
  4. 1.5 6 km ENE of Steele, Missouri
  5. 1.6 3 km SSE of Caraway, Arkansas
  6. 1.8 2 km NNE of Cooter, Missouri
  7. 1.7 6 km NE of Etowah, Arkansas
  8. 1.8 2 km N of Cooter, Missouri
  9. 1.6 6 km NE of Etowah, Arkansas
  10. 3.8 6 km NE of Etowah, Arkansas
  11. 1.6 1 km W of Blytheville, Arkansas
  12. 2.1 Arkansas
  13. 1.9 3 km NE of Caruthersville, Missouri
  14. 1.7 1 km NNW of Cooter, Missouri
  15. 1.5 5 km NNW of Victoria, 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.