QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.6md

southeastern Missouri

Yes. A magnitude 2.6 earthquake was recorded in southeastern Missouri, at 8:56 pm CDT on 12 August 2023 (01:56 UTC), 6.6 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

· 6.6 km deep · released about 270 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lake County 8 kmDyer County 24 kmPemiscot County 29 kmObion County 31 kmNew Madrid County 41 kmFulton County 41 kmDunklin County 55 kmGibson County 57 kmLauderdale 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
Missouri today
every earthquake in Missouri in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.6 (md)
Depth
6.6 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity I
Nearest
Lake County, 8 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 1111 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 52 km (32 mi) from the epicentre. 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: Tiptonville 13 km, intensity III · Caruthersville 18 km, intensity III · Dyersburg 26 km, intensity II · Portageville 28 km, intensity II · New Madrid 36 km, intensity II · Steele 38 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 270 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 57,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 40,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 3.6× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.6 about 270 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 36.2617, -89.4687. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lake County, TN 8 km (5 mi) N earthquakes near Lake County
Dyer County, TN 24 km (15 mi) SSE earthquakes near Dyer County
Pemiscot County, MO 29 km (18 mi) WSW earthquakes near Pemiscot County
Obion County, TN 31 km (19 mi) ENE earthquakes near Obion County
New Madrid County, MO 41 km (25 mi) NNW earthquakes near New Madrid County
Fulton County, KY 41 km (25 mi) NE earthquakes near Fulton County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.2 7 km SSW of Holland, Missouri
  2. 1.8 9 km SSE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  3. 1.8 southeastern Missouri
  4. 3.3 9 km SSE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  5. 2.6 southeastern Missouri
  6. 1.8 10 km SSE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  7. 2.3 southeastern Missouri
  8. 1.9 southeastern Missouri
  9. 2.1 southeastern Missouri
  10. 2.5 10 km S of Bragg City, Missouri
  11. 2.4 2 km NNW of Marston, Missouri
  12. 2.0 6 km SE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  13. 1.8 4 km SE of Marston, Missouri
  14. 2.9 7 km WNW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  15. 1.9 2 km WNW of Marston, 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.