QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.6md

Earthquake near Sikeston, MO

No earthquake was likely felt in Sikeston in the 24 hours to 2:15 pm CST (20:15 UTC). The last one was M 1.9, 14 km (9 mi) SSE, at 12:12 am CDT on 28 July 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Sikeston

This page: a magnitude 1.6 earthquake was recorded 28 km (17 mi) southwest of Sikeston, MO, at 7:57 am CST on 6 January 2026 (13:57 UTC), 4.6 km deep.

USGS: 8 km NNE of Parma, Missouri

7:57 am CST, Jan 6, 2026 · · 4.6 km deep · released about 8.7 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N New Madrid County 15 kmStoddard County 24 kmScott County 45 kmMississippi County 46 kmLake County 47 kmPemiscot County 52 kmFulton County 55 kmButler County 56 kmDunklin County 64 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
7:57 am CST on 6 January 2026 ()
Where
28 km (17 mi) southwest of Sikeston, MO · earthquakes near Sikeston
Missouri today
every earthquake in Missouri in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 1.6 (md)
Depth
4.6 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
New Madrid County, 15 km SE
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 309 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 9 km (6 mi) from the epicentre. In Sikeston, 28 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: Bernie, Lilbourn, Dexter, Malden, New Madrid, Bloomfield.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 8.7 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,700,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,200,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 110× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.6 about 8.7 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 36.6820, -89.7783. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
New Madrid County, MO 15 km (9 mi) SE earthquakes near New Madrid County
Stoddard County, MO 24 km (15 mi) NW earthquakes near Stoddard County
Scott County, MO 45 km (28 mi) NNE earthquakes near Scott County
Mississippi County, MO 46 km (29 mi) ENE earthquakes near Mississippi County
Lake County, TN 47 km (29 mi) SE earthquakes near Lake County
Pemiscot County, MO 52 km (33 mi) S earthquakes near Pemiscot County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.9 5 km E of Matthews, Missouri
  2. 2.0 9 km NNW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  3. 1.8 4 km S of Bernie, Missouri
  4. 2.0 3 km ENE of North Lilbourn, Missouri
  5. 1.9 6 km WNW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  6. 1.9 3 km E of Marston, Missouri
  7. 1.9 6 km NW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  8. 2.0 9 km SE of Matthews, Missouri
  9. 1.8 7 km WNW of East Prairie, Missouri
  10. 1.9 9 km ESE of Matthews, Missouri
  11. 2.0 1 km SSE of Howardville, Missouri
  12. 2.3 8 km WSW of Bernie, Missouri
  13. 1.9 6 km SE of Marston, Missouri
  14. 1.9 5 km SE of Marston, Missouri
  15. 1.8 4 km NW 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.