QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8md

Earthquake near Jonesboro, AR

No earthquake was likely felt in Jonesboro in the 24 hours to 9:26 am CST (15:26 UTC). The last one was M 4.0, 83 km (51 mi) ENE, at 12:59 pm CDT on 23 April 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 913 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Jonesboro

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 43 km (27 mi) east-southeast of Jonesboro, AR, at 7:58 am CDT on 31 July 2023 (12:58 UTC), 5.3 km deep.

USGS: 1 km WNW of Etowah, Arkansas

74 km (46 mi) NNW of Memphis, TN · 40 km (25 mi) ESE of Jonesboro, AR

7:58 am CDT, Jul 31, 2023 · · 5.3 km deep · released about 17 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Mississippi County 18 kmCraighead County 36 kmPoinsett County 43 kmDunklin County 50 kmGreene County 52 kmTipton County 52 kmLauderdale County 56 kmCrittenden County 60 kmPemiscot County 67 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
7:58 am CDT on 31 July 2023 ()
Where
43 km (27 mi) east-southeast of Jonesboro, AR · earthquakes near Jonesboro
Magnitude
M 1.8 (md)
Depth
5.3 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Mississippi County, 18 km ENE
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 1198 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 18 km (11 mi) from the epicentre. In Jonesboro, 43 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: Caraway, Lepanto, Manila, Lake City, Monette, Leachville.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 17 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 5.8 870,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 620,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 55× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.8 about 17 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 35.7333, -90.2488. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Mississippi County, AR 18 km (11 mi) ENE earthquakes near Mississippi County
Craighead County, AR 36 km (22 mi) WNW earthquakes near Craighead County
Poinsett County, AR 43 km (27 mi) WSW earthquakes near Poinsett County
Dunklin County, MO 50 km (31 mi) NNE earthquakes near Dunklin County
Greene County, AR 52 km (32 mi) NNW earthquakes near Greene County
Tipton County, TN 52 km (33 mi) ESE earthquakes near Tipton County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.9 3 km NNE of Blytheville, Arkansas
  2. 1.9 6 km N of Etowah, Arkansas
  3. 2.3 2 km WSW of Lake City, Arkansas
  4. 2.1 3 km WSW of Blytheville, Arkansas
  5. 2.5 6 km NNE of Dell, Arkansas
  6. 1.6 4 km W of Marked Tree, Arkansas
  7. 1.8 4 km ENE of Dell, Arkansas
  8. 1.6 9 km NE of Etowah, Arkansas
  9. 2.3 7 km SSE of Manila, Arkansas
  10. 1.9 7 km NW of Lepanto, Arkansas
  11. 1.8 9 km SSE of Manila, Arkansas
  12. 2.7 7 km NNE of Blytheville, Arkansas
  13. 2.0 8 km W of Lepanto, Arkansas
  14. 2.8 5 km W of Dell, Arkansas
  15. 1.9 4 km NW of Gosnell, 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.