QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Fredericktown, MO

No earthquake was likely felt in Fredericktown in the 24 hours to 4:33 am CST (10:33 UTC). The last one was M 3.5, 233 km (145 mi) ENE, at 2:05 am CDT on 29 June 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 392 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Fredericktown

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 15 km (9 mi) southeast of Fredericktown, MO, at 12:55 pm CDT on 26 August 2025 (17:55 UTC), 16 km deep. 18 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 4 km N of Marquand, Missouri

12:55 pm CDT, Aug 26, 2025 · · 16 km deep · released about 47 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Madison County 15 kmBollinger County 21 kmPerry County 42 kmCape Girardeau County 44 kmSte. Genevieve County 46 kmSt. Francois County 46 kmWayne County 47 kmIron County 50 kmScott County 71 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
12:55 pm CDT on 26 August 2025 ()
Where
15 km (9 mi) southeast of Fredericktown, MO · earthquakes near Fredericktown
Missouri today
every earthquake in Missouri in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
16 km below the surface
Felt
18 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Madison County, 15 km W
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 364 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 25 km (16 mi) from the epicentre. In Fredericktown, 15 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: Marble Hill.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 47 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 5.8 320,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 230,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 20× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 47 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 37.4723, -90.1712. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Madison County, MO 15 km (9 mi) W earthquakes near Madison County
Bollinger County, MO 21 km (13 mi) SE earthquakes near Bollinger County
Perry County, MO 42 km (26 mi) NE earthquakes near Perry County
Cape Girardeau County, MO 44 km (27 mi) ESE earthquakes near Cape Girardeau County
Ste. Genevieve County, MO 46 km (29 mi) N earthquakes near Ste. Genevieve County
St. Francois County, MO 46 km (29 mi) NW earthquakes near St. Francois County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.1 12 km ENE of Greenville, Missouri
  2. 2.0 14 km SSE of Weingarten, Missouri
  3. 2.2 15 km SW of Ozora, 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.